B Books

There is only one word to describe the author and the book, simply amazing..the book was very informative and very detailed and covered many important different aspects of life. The book opens your mind and thoughts to things you wouldn't even thought of. Very impressive!

There is only one word to describe the author and the book, simply amazing..the book was very informative and very detailed and covered many important different aspects of life. The book opens your mind and thoughts to things you wouldn't even thought of. Very impressive!

This book succinctly explains how lack of emotion is affecting our world in negative and destructive ways. This book explains how compassion and cooperation gives hope for our world. One of the first steps we must take is to acknowledge that differences exist and to respect the differences even though we do not all think in the same way. We must feel comfortable with ourselves and with others even if they are different from us. This will lead to better communication which can only lead to better lives for us. Finally, we also need to realize that communication is not just between people, but also between people and the world we live in

I have recently read compassion: a new philosophy. It has opened my eyes to other religions and religious thoughts. Although not converting me to perspectivism the book was insightful. It also made me think about the cruelty to animals.

Before reading this book I thought I knew alot about everything, this book has helped me to see things from many different points of view. There is so much information in the book that I found facinating. Reading this book has changed the way I think about history and other cultures.

As the years have passed, more Holocaust memoirs have become available but most are "emotion recollected in tranquility." Barry Spanjaard wrote his memories immediately after the war, in 1946 while a student at VMI and that closeness to the events makes it more effective in bringing home the horror of his experiences than a tome written by a more mature survivor. He draws the Amsterdam of his childhood with such a loving hand that I can feel the crisp air as he pulls on his prized shoe skates and sense his excitement mixed with fear to watch the first of the German planes over his city. Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest in Holocaust memoirs, even more so for teens who have perhaps read the Anne Frank "Diary of a Young Girl" and want to know more.

I found this in a Used Book Store- I had not heard of it, but read it and thought it's certainly an important and incredible memoir of being in the Holocaust and everyone who is interested in this subject should read this book- I've read all books on this subject and this is one of the best- I coudn't put it down and it was expertly written. We should thankful that Mr. Spanjaard decided to write his experiences. There are two very historically important observations he adds to history- he paints a vivid picture of Westerbork- the transit camp- add his experience with that of Etty Hillesum and her letters from Westerbork, and both give a sense of what that was like, at least from two perspectives.

The 2nd is about Bergen-Belsen. Many Holocaust narratives are from Auschwitz and they are very important, but it is also important to hear about the others- and Spanjaard successfully conveyed that experience to me in his book. The horror of it is very real and he does an excellent job getting across to us what it was like. You get a sense of maturity from him that leaves no doubt that what he says is how it happened through his eyes.

I just thought it was GREAT.

I was very impressed with this book. I have been studying the holocaust for years and this is by far the best book ive read on the subject. This book gives the reader a very good idea of what it was like to be in germany at the time of the holocaust.
Unlike "The Diary of Anne Frank" this book goes into the concentraiton camps where the real horror of the holocaust took place. This is a book you just cant put down.

This book is a personal account of a teenager who was in a concentration camp during World War II. I had the privilege of hearing Barry Spanjaard speak at my high school in the late 1980's, and it made the experience of reading the book even more personal. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the holocaust from someone with first-hand experience.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr.Spanjaard in the spring of 1983 when he began his middle school talks that introduced this incredible book to the world.I was 14 and found Barry to be the kindest most compassionate man i had ever met. He was so excited to share his very important story with all of us and yet so interested in who we were. His wife Bunny was equally sensitive and caring.I plan to have my children read this book when they reach the appropriate age and would recommend it to anyone who has a teenager that needs resources for reports on the Holocaust. And wherever Barry, as he insisted we call him,is today I send him love and appreciation for sharing his remarkable story with the world. :)

Doug Moo offers a great exegetical and expositional commentary with the PNTC series offering on James. Well worth the buy, if you don't have a solid commentary on James. Nothing too crazy, and lots of compelling argumentation for his positions.

I have five critical commentaries on James (Lenski, Bruce, Woods, Martin, and now Moo). This one will more than likely be the primary source for me when I study the book in a critical fashion. He is thorough and that is what I want. If you are a preacher looking for something quick and in summary form, a smaller work might be more useful. For me, as a preacher, if I am in the circumstance where I need something quick I am already in trouble. I like the Pillar Series. Not long ago I read of one's review that was overly critical of the work on the epistles of John - I do not subscribe to that sentiment at all. It is a good series!

If you are looking for an answer to a question raised about the meaning of the book of Phillipians, you could not find a better treatment. This is a wonderful resource and fine treatment of the text. I used it in a series of sermons, and found it very easy to acess and get the gems of the book.

`The Epistle of James' by James B. Adamson, 1976, 227 pages in the series The New International Commentary on the New Testament; `The Letter of James' by Douglas J. Moo, 2000, 271 pages, a volume in the series The Pillar New Testament Commentary; and `James' by Ralph P. Martin, 1988, 240 pages, A volume in the series Word Biblical Commentary are all `full featured' and recent commentaries on the first of the short `catholic' epistles in the New Testament.

I find it amazing how different the material is in these three volumes. After 1800 years of commentary, one would expect a fair amount of uniformity in thinking about this short letter, but there is a remarkable range of differences in emphasis among the three.

Those of you who are familiar with the world of biblical commentary will recognize that all three are part of major series of commentaries. Adamson and Moo belong to series dedicated to the New Testament, while Martin's volume is an offering of a larger series on both Old and New Testaments. And, each volume is organized in a way to match the editorial style of their series. This is most clearly seen in Martin's volume, as his work is organized in virtually the same way as the much larger work on Paul's Epistle to the Romans by the distinguished scholar, James D. G. Dunn. This is no surprise, as Martin is the New Testament editor for his series, the Word Biblical Commentary.

Ranked by scholarly detail, Martin has the most and Adamson has the least, with Moo somewhere in between; but don't take from this that Martin is heavy on the Greek and Adamson has no original Greek. All three are specifically written for the scholar and assume that the reader either knows classical Greek or is willing to slog through all the Greek words and expressions. The irony here is that while Martin is the most heavily scholarly, it may also be the most accessible to the lay or strictly pastoral user, since this series divides scholarly observations into the `Comments' on each paragraph, while more general thoughts are spelled out in straight English in the `Form/Structure/Setting' section and later in the `Explanation' section following the `Comments'. Adamson organizes all his `special' or more technical topics in `Excursus' sections following his main commentary. I found this just a tad distracting, especially when I discovered some mistakes in references to these Excursus sections in the main text.

All three authors give us their own translations of the text, and all three agree on where the difficult phrases are to be found. If I were to pick a volume purely on the basis of their translation, I would prefer Adamson, as he seems to give translations that best resolve these difficult sections. But, in all three cases, the authors agree on where the difficulties lie and, in general, the nature of the difficulties.

In the three authors' introductory chapter on the author, themes, and canonical status of the letter, all three agree on the major points. They uniformly agree, for example on the belief that the letter does, in fact, represent the thoughts or writings of James, the brother of Jesus, who was head of the Christian Jews in Jerusalem up to about 62 CE. They also agree that the final form of the letter was rewritten and polished sometime in the early 2nd century, CE. The authors are also uniform in their citing Martin Luther's misunderstanding of James; however, I would give Luther credit for seeing scriptural support of many Roman Catholic doctrines, even if any sound reading of `James' shows that this support is probably stretching James points just a little too far.

On the major themes of the letter, I generally prefer Martin's emphasis on the three topics of `Wisdom', `Perfection', and `The Piety of the Poor' to the other authors' interest in theology and the law. James is clearly spending less times on these typically Pauline topics than he is on lessons for a Christian life.

Among all the other differences, it is most remarkable to see all the differences between how the three authors structure an outline of the short letter. If you didn't know better, you may think they were talking about two different writings. This is just a symptom of the fact that `James' is much less a theological argument a la `Romans' and much more a collection of lessons on prayer, right Christian behavior, and the implications of faith. This is consistent with the fact that the letter has much in common with the Gospels, especially the Gospel of Matthew (See Martin).

One last difference I detect between the three is the fact that Martin makes more connections to modern theology of, for example Dietrich Bonhoffer, while Moo and Adamson have more citations to the great reformers, Calvin and Luther.

If I had to pick only one of these, I would go with Martin's volume in the Word Biblical Commentary series. If I were interested only in pastoral interpretation, I would go with Moo or the article `The Letter of James' by Luke Timothy Johnson in `The New Interpreter's Bible', since both refer heavily to the standard NIV and NRSV translations. If your interest is in a scholarly study of the letter, you will probably want all three.

This is Moo's second commentary on the epistle of James. He wrote his first one in 1985 as part of the Tyndale series. This commentary is the result of fifteen years of reflection on that work. The content of this commentary makes it evident that this is the mature thought of a noted scholar on the letter of James. Those fifteen years left him more convinced "that the heart of the letter is a call to wholehearted commitment to Christ" (x).
Moo provides a lengthy introduction to this epistle (46 pages worth). This introduction includes the history of James in the church, nature and genre, authorship, theology, occasion and date, and structure of James. Concerning authorship, Moo holds that James, the bother of Christ, is the author. He presents arguments against this traditional view and then answers them. The section on the theology of the book is a feature more commentaries would do well to include. He dates the writing of the letter around the middle of the 40s AD. This is important because the date of writing has great implication on the relationship of the letter to Paul's teachings. Moo does not place a ridge structure on the letter. Instead, he finds "several key motifs" which "are often mixed together with other themes in paragraphs that cannot be labeled as neatly as we might like" (45). Denying the assertion of some commentators that the letter has no unifying purpose, Moo argues that the central concern of the letter is spiritual wholeness of the readers (47).
Moo's analysis of the text is insightful. His word studies are well done. He presents a wide range of possible meanings but uses the context to determine which meaning is James's meaning. Moo also does a good job in showing James's relationship with Paul. James is not writing against Paul. James means something different by faith than does Paul. They are addressing different problems.
The format of the commentary is user friendly for the most part. One helpful aspect is that Moo's introductory notes precede the verse by verse exposition of major points and most sub-points. Moo transliterates Greek words making the commentary usable to those who do not have the advantage of knowing Greek. One slight critique concerns the chapter divisions. The chapter divisions of the commentary are based on the chapters of James. This is fine, but the table of contents is broken down by his outline. One would whish the editors would choose a method of division and stay with it. The only other criticism is that Moo's writing style can be difficult at times. These two minor criticisms in no way change the fact that this is a masterpiece. It is short at only 251 pages not counting indexes. Anyone from a layperson to a scholar will benefit from this commentary. This reviewer would recommend it without hesitation (something he does not do often).

I just got a FREE copy with my Cheerios box! I LOVE this book! I laughed with my 10 year old as we read it, and I will make my 13 year old son read it and we shall reflect on our rock hunting days of old in our beloved Tennessee creeks... :) I want a hardback of this book!

Thank You Byrd Baylor. I teach a class of adults in recovery. This book has a wonderful message. Everybody in the class chose a rock that appealed to them, a discussion presented inspiring feedback, that was meaningful. Nature has a way of touching our hearts. Nature has a way of growing our spirit.

I bought this book for use in an early childhood classroom for 3 to 5 year old children, and the children and I just love it! It's a relaxing story to use and lends itself well to a variety of themes and activities. I wish I had this one when my own children were small. They would have LOVED it!

Under the guise of giving ten rules for choosing one's "special rock", the author advises kids (and adults who read to them), to connect with nature and to act with deliberation. The line drawings are muted in color yet evocative and filled with imagination, and will be of interest to kids who have seen only traditional artwork.

I teach 6th grade and one of the things we learn about is rocks. I bought this book based on the reviews, but after reading it I felt compelled to write one too. I try to get my students excited about rock collecting. This book is so simple, yet so inspiring. It begins by saying "I'm sorry for kids who only have tricycles, bicycles, horses, elephants, goldfish, three-room playhouses, fire engines, wind-up dragons and things like that - if they don't have a rock for a friend." It then goes on to list 10 simple rules for finding your rock...not just any rock. A rock that you will keep forever. The rules include where to find your rock and remember "You should choose your rock when everything is quiet. Don't let dogs bark at you or bees buzz at you." The book concedes, "Don't get a rock that is too big. You'll always be sorry. It won't fit in your right hand and it won't fit in your pocket. A rock as big as an apple is too big. A rock as big as a horse is MUCH too big." This is the perfect book to get your rock collectors started and excited about geology.

THis publication is a descriptive diatribe on the "cosmic" nature of improvisation. It is not a manual that "teaches", but rather a collection of bits & pieces of information that are collaged together. There are good points in the book and it is extremely well written by a PHD holder who obviously is an expert in the field.

I was hoping the book would be more of a manual of "how to" but it was still very useful as a "mind opener"

I am a musician,and improvisation used to be a mystery. I wanted to do it and was amazed with what other musicians could do but didn't know where to start. It is no longer a mystery to me, and I know of many musicians who would like to discover the joy of "Free Play". This book explains exactly how we are already improvising in our everyday life,and if we examine how we do it, then we will be able to apply the principle to music. Great explanations !!

Nachmanovitch writes from the perspective of a professional musician, yet makes it easily possible to transfer his ideas to any realm. Nachmanovitch's ideas are consistent with the thinkers today who believe we are in the Creativity Age, and that all people are creative.

The story of the flute player is skillfully woven throughout the book, and its meaning is clear and timeless.

I LOVE this book and keep it handy because it constantly leads me to my core and helps keep me real.

This book basically tells you to get out of your own way and let your creativity flow! The author has a lot of information in it and I needed a couple of reads to get most of it. I thought it was wonderful, very well written, and the results can be very effective in life. My piano playing has gotten much more free and fun. I rarely play a song the same way twice - just let things flow. If you are into anything creative, I don't think you will be disappointed with this book.

Manual transmissions aren't as sexy as some other engine parts that I could think of (like cams, or turbos), but that doesn't make them boring!

This book covers the little-known and little-described topic of manual transmissions. The writer attacks the subject from the angle of a "weekend warrior" mechanic or car builder, which means it's neither dry and academic nor lowbrow.

Manual transmissions, clutches and even differentials are covered in enough detail to be useful without drowning in theory. Unlike many automotive books it's full of meaty details and tips - the chapter on manual transmission diagnosis alone is worth the cost.

Even if you're not a die-hard stick shifter, it's a fun read and an interesting look at the technology behind a manual transmission. If nothing else, you could read it and impress the guys at your local hot-rod spot with your knowledge of gear oil additives.

Besides, where else can you get all the current thinking on manual transmission modifications in one place?

I just got this book and Have to say that it is one of the best automotive books I have ever read. Most automotive Books are either to Dry and Technical or have very little info. This Book is both easy to read and has a ton of information. I'll be referring to this book any time I have a problem with a manual transmission.

Excellent organization and structure. Lots of information on how manual transmissions work, and how to check and rebuild them. Many excellent color photos to go along with the text.

This book is well written and easy to understand with many pictures. It is a good starting point for anyone considering rebuilding a manual transmission.

The book covers material that is common knowledge for professionals, but that is hard to learn as an amatuer trying to learn on his/her own. Specifically in the areas of dianosis of problems, and explicit function of components.

I recommend this book.

This book really presents the work and theory in a straightforward manner. It explains what you are doing and why, and what happens when something goes wrong. It's easy enough to follow lightly as you work, or to read in depth to really learn something. You can easily pull from it what information you need. I would recommend this book to anyone with a technical background, whether already you know what you are doing or just starting your first project, there is definitely something to gain here.

My 4 and 5 year olds love Junie B. Jones. This is the first chapter book on cd we have purchased and they love it! They listen to it while they are going to bed at night. They even tell me which chapter they were on when they fell asleep:) Great buy!

Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

I love all of Barbara Parks books about Junie B. Jones. I think they should make a movie of this book. I think this is the funniest of all the Junie B.books. If you have a little girl who loves to read or be read to, I cannot recommend all of the Junie B. books enough.

Would make a great addition to any Easter basket! This book is a little better than cheater pants!

My daughter has the whole collection she love keeping up with Junie B. I have not read a book in it's entire but from what I've read she is a very curious, funny little girl. I recommend this book and all the others also. My daughter was hooked after the 1st Barbara Parks books and althought she is older now she still cracks up laughing when reading. Totaling entertaining!

After more than 25 books, Barbara Park's series about a very loquacious first grader with a vocabulary far beyond her age (and the writing ability to go with it) is still going strong. So I suspended my disbelief and read JUNIE B., FIRST GRADER: DUMB BUNNY to my six-year-old.

In this adventure, the rich girl in class, Lucille, invites everyone over to her mansion to participate in an over-the-top Easter Egg Hunt that will result in a play date in Lucille's heated indoor swimming pool. Lucille wants her boyfriend Sheldon to win, but Junie B. and her arch-nemesis May (the original "dumb bunny" in the title until Junie B. gets something of a comeuppance later on) are ready to pounce, pound and scrabble their opponents in order to get a dip in that grand pool.

There is a lot of falling down and Batman-type expletives (WHOOSH! SMASH!), and the kids are none too nice to each other until Junie B., in a sudden acknowledgment of good judgment, makes a quick and well-appreciated sacrifice to save the day. We laughed at some of the pratfalls, and Lucille's annoyed Nanna character was amusing as well. Junie B. shares the stage with a lot of different people, but she is clearly the star of the show, the story told from her point of view.

Whether humiliated in a pink bunny suit or gloating over her lack of selfishness, Junie B. thinks in capital letters with lots of exclamation points and writes in her journal about what she has learned. The journal entries are cute and engaging, and spell out the moral of the story without being too pointed, which we appreciated.

If this is your first Junie B. foray, it might be helpful to go back and read some of the earlier books first to relax into her strange environment. Otherwise, DUMB BUNNY certainly will offer fans of the series more of what they have come to expect from this little girl and her friends.

--- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

My daughter love this series. It's a little hard for me to read due to the poor grammar and name calling. Let's face it though most first graders have poor grammar. There are worse things that she could be reading. We have all of these books and they are well loved.

Read first copy I bought. This 2nd, 3rd & 4th are for my grandkids. They're are the ones inheriting the problems and, I hope, they will be living toward solutions. I especially like from p. 123 on, when Brown begins proposing solutions. Astounded that we humans, globally subsidize nonrenewables by &700 Billion ANNUALLY. Love the idea of carbon taxes rather than cumbersome regulation & enforcement. Kathryn Russell

Plan B. 2.0 is the most comprehensive book I've found yet on the converging crises that we are facing in the world today. In Part I of the book, Lester R. Brown lays out each crisis, explaining the causes, and then goes on in Parts II and III, lays out a rational, well-thought-out,practical solution to the problems at hand. I gave my husband a copy of it to use for part of the Critical Issues for Law Enforcement class he's teaching at our local university. As far as I'm concerned, every American ought to have a copy and read it often and thoroughly. We need to be aware of what we're doing to ourselves and others. The frosting on this cake is that he gives us the tools we need to remedy the situation...if we act now.

If you care about this planet and our journey upon it, this book is essential reading for the millennium ahead. I just wanted to add my five stars. Please read the other reviews for the overview of "Plan B: 2.0"

It's a real shame that the publisher did not take the trouble to load the table of contents into the product information section provided by Amazon, because that alone should persuade anyone that gets to this page that the book is a MUST BUY MUST READ MUST SHARE.

Each of the following section titles has six sub-titles that I will not repeat here:
1. Entering a New World
2. Beyond the Oil Peak
3. Emerging Water Shortages
4. Rising Temperatures & Rising Seas
5. Natural Systems Under Stress
6. Early Signs of Decline
7. Eradicating Poverty, Stabilizing Populations
8. Restoring the Earth
9. Feeding Seven Billion Well
10. Stabilizing Climate
11. Designing Sustainable Cities
12. Building a New Economy
13. Plan B: Building a New Future.

Although an updated version of the first edition published in 2003, this version can be said to be both completely new, and finally ready for public consumption now that Al Gore has put Global Warming on the public mind.

I still prefer J. F. Rischard's High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them for the general reader, and I still think E. O. Wilson's The Future of Life is one of the top three in this area, but this book by Lester Brown has the merit of consolidating and structuring detail in a manner I have not seen elsewhere.

I recommend the book be ready in conjunction with books by Herman Daly's Valuing the Earth: Economics, Ecology, Ethics and Paul Hawken's Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, in part because everyone is now starting to realize that green sustainability is in fact the non-negotiable first step for any business to survive into the next decade--natural capitalism.

Most intriguing to me, and the heart of the book on page 257, is the consolidated Plan B budget totallying $161 billion a year needed to meet all of the goals the author postulates.
BASIC SOCIAL GOALS
12B Universal primary education
04B Adult literacy
06B School lunch in 44 poorest countries
04B Assistant to pregnant women and preschool childen in 44 poorest
07B Reproductive health and family planning
33B Universal health care
02B Closing the condom gap (Bill & Melinda Gates can have this one)

EARTH RESTORATION GOALS
06B Reforesting the earth
24B Protecting topsoil on cropland
09B Restoring rangelands
10B Stabilizing water tables
13B Restoring fisheries
31B Protecting biological diversity

As the author points out on the next page, world military expenditures total $975B a year, with the US alone responsible for $492B (this was published before we all knew of the half trillion dollar cost of the Iraq invasion and occupation). Hence, the $161B a year total is a fraction of the total spent on out-dated military systems, and could be funded by the US alone if we had the right leadership and public consensus.

Personally, and based on other readings, I believe that the author is under-estimating the costs, and avoiding a focus on many other factors including the urgent need to eradicate transnational crime and end inter-state and civil war. This is, however, a superb start and ideally suited as a primer for any level of learning.

Readers interested in seeing a broader perspective that places the ten high-level threats (poverty, infectuous disease, environmental degradation, inter-state conflict, civil war, genocide, other atrocities, proliferation, terrorism and transnational crime) in the context of the twelve policies that must be managed as a whole by all nations (agriculture, debt, diplomacy, economy, education, energy, family, immigration, justice, security, society, and water), and that in turn oriented toward the urgency of keeping the eight challengers (Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Wild Cards) from repeating our mistakes, can check in at Earth Intelligence Network.

Rescuing are planet and our civilization is going to be a great deal harder than the author suggests, and is going to need a massive awakening by the public as to the "true cost" of all that we are doing wrong. I expect that we will succeed, in part from top down efforts by Al Gore and this author among others, and in part by bottom up efforts where individuals can get from the Internet the "true cost" of any good or service in terms of water content, fuel content, sweatshop labor content, and tax avoidance status. Noami Klein's books, No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs and The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism are recommended in this regard.

Over-all an absolutely superb piece of work that caps the author's decades of advocacy on behalf of the planet. There is no other person that has been focused on this topic with due diligence year after year.

I believe this author should be recognized, along with Herman Daly and Paul Hawken and Anthony Lovins and others, for their total commitment over decades.

We do have prophets for our time. Lester Brown is one of the most important among them. In his well founded search for truth and solutions for our demographic, ecological and economic problems of global dimensions, he powerfully opposes the four faces of destructive stupidity of our times: ignorance, refusal to discuss matters, denial, and faithful dysfunctionality. I made this book the present day Bible that must be read and discussed in my course on Bioethics: Perspectives on Human Life, at Le Moyne College, Syracuse NY.
Dr. Andrew Szebenyi S.J.

The book came very quick & in great shape. But I found the book at Walmart for less.

This is a very cute little story of an elephant becoming comfortable with who he is meant to be. The characters in this story help Sooki the elephant realize he is just fine the way he is. It's an easy read with a sweet ending. Nice illustrations as well.

After 60 years (this book was first published in 1947) this story still has a nice little message about being yourself, and expressing your talents.

This was (first published in 1947) and it is still delighting young readers and the young at heart to this day. Lots of words, so definitely a read to rather than read yourself for the very beginners

This is a fun and charming story of a happy little elephant that meets a tactless parrot. This parrot comments on the saggy skin of the elephant. He tries to improve himself, but without success. Sad and self-conscious, the little elephant decides to hide in a cave where no one can see how unattractive he is. Very soon something wonderful happens, however, and our sweet friend is happy once again. This children's classic will touch your heart and have you smiling.

The Blackablys have done a thorough job in researching and summarizing today's secular leadership teaching then contrasting it with spiritual leadership. They point out that many of the principles of secular leadership are of value but the underlying principle of spiritual leadership that differs from secular leadership is that we are to seek God's agenda and not our own. To make their point, early in the book they discuss Jesus as the model for spiritual leadership. Jesus, the very Son of God, did not seek His own agenda, but rather spent hours in prayer to align himself with God's agenda.

The Blackabys also do a great job teaching that spritual leadership is not just for leaders in the church. Spiritual leadership is also required of Christians that are in secular leadership roles. They give us many examples of US Presidents as well as military and corporate leaders that have aligned themselves to God's agenda and have been effective.

We are living in a world that is growing in complexity and the demands on leadership are ever increasing. The Blackabys have shown what an advantage spiritual leaders have in being able to align ourselves to the agenda of a wise and loving God rather than attempting to create our own agenda.

Excelent book. Every leader should read this book. Many good examples of leadership, including President Truman.

We, Christian School teachers, read this and found it very informational. Additionally, it was quite helpful as we learned things that were very helpful in growing and nurturing young leaders of the future.

Drawing from examples of leaders in the Bible, leadership theories, testimonies of ministry and secular leaders, and their own experiences, Henry and Richard Blackaby present a refreshingly helpful and insightful resource on leadership in their book, Spiritual Leadership. Recognizing that Christian leadership today sounds more and more secular than Christian, the Blackabys call on Christians in leadership roles, both inside and outside of the church, to "seek to lead God's way" (17). They define this type of spiritual leadership as "moving people on to God's agenda" (20).

Three main aspects of Spiritual Leadership set it apart from other leadership books and make it highly commendable...

First, it is intended for a broad audience. It is written in a way to be just as helpful for Christian CEOs and other business people as it is for pastors and ministry leaders. In fact, the authors state that they intend this work to be for all Christians who want to make a difference (14).

Second, and most significant, Spiritual Leadership is theocentric in its approach, not anthropocentric. This book is not a do-it-yourself guide to leadership nor is it a self-help book. Instead, it is a refreshing focus on God in the vast sea of "Christian" leadership books today. From the outset, issues such as goals and influence are all presented in terms of God's will. For example, influence is defined as moving people from where they are to where God wants them to be (20). Even popular leadership concepts are reframed in order to present the issue from God's perspective, such as noting how time management really is personal management in order to stay on God's agenda (200). All throughout the pages of this book the Blackabys paint the picture of leadership in terms of God's plans. It is not about advancing one's personal goals. Rather, it is about obeying God and moving people to be in line with His will. The authors conclude that since "God is on mission," the task of leaders is to join Him in that mission and bring people along to join that mission (70). In light of this reality, leaders are urged to make decisions with the reminder that they will give an account before God. The authors remind the readers that the goal is bringing God glory while the reward is finding joy in knowing that they pleased God. In being God focused, this book also recognizes that leaders can accomplish nothing without God. Instead of providing a checklist to be used to achieve goals, the Blackabys encourage leaders to depend on the Lord. In fact, from the outset they state that God calls leaders to do things that only He can do; thus, spiritual leaders must depend on the Holy Spirit (21). Such dependence on the Lord requires a leader to have a vibrant prayer life as well as seek guidance in the Word, from other believers, and even from looking at how God is moving in the circumstances of life. While the repeated stress on dependence and prayer may cause the reader to think "I've heard all of these things ten times already!," such an emphasis prevents the reader from missing the most important theme of the book as well as challenges him or her to remember Jesus' words that are so counter-cultural in the leadership world today: "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Third, Spiritual Leadership focuses more on being than on doing. Instead of offering a program to implement, a check-list to do, or an attitude to embrace, this book challenges leaders to be faithful to God. As in the other themes, the Blackabys are straightforward in this assertion, as seen when they say within the first several chapters that "leadership is more about `being' than about `doing'" (31). The Blackabys believe that being holy and faithful and modeling obedience to God's will are necessary since leaders cannot take their followers deeper than where they themselves are. As such, spiritual leaders must spend much time in the "conscious presence of God" (170). By abiding in Him, spiritual leaders can then encourage their followers to grow in their relationship with God. In addition, such abiding is shown to be necessary since spiritual leadership comes through revelation, not from vision. As leaders and followers seek God, they will be able to join together in accomplishing the work to which He calls them.


All of these themes are repeated throughout the book. By stating them directly in the introductory chapters and repeating them throughout, it is hard to imagine how any reader could miss this counter-cultural, yet solidly biblical, approach toward leadership. By the time readers turn the last page, they can easily articulate the thesis that spiritual leadership is moving people on to God's agenda. They can articulate the reality that leadership is about pleasing God. They understand that such leadership requires abiding with God more than doing certain tasks. Most of all, they recognize that such spiritual leadership, while hard work, is a high calling and a "God-given privilege" (236). Whether you find yourself in a leadership role in the church, in business, in education, or even in your home, the timeless, Biblical principles articulated by Richard and Henry Blackaby will motive you to discern God's will, be faithful to follow the path He has set before you, and do everything you can to bring others along on the exciting adventure of knowing and following God.

I found this book very engaging and was able to read through it without multiple pickups. By this I mean, that I didn't put it down for a few weeks and then pick it up again. Instead, I read through it in about four days. Overall, the book was very good. The only area I would have liked to have seen greater depth was in the decision making process. This was one of the shorter chapters and I felt the authors could have gone a little deeper here.

From a Christian perspective on leadership, this book would definitely be in my top five choices along with The Revolutionary Communicator, The Book on Leadership, Lead Like Jesus, and Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge. These other four are fine reads as well.