J Books

This is great information with very east to read instructions. Not for the lazy or faint of heart.Great ancient traditions brought back to life.

Classical Loop-in-Loop Chains & Their Derivatives is the full title which I find still does not adequately describe the book.

This book is an instruction manual rather than a reference source. The instructions presented have been tried and tested on a number of students, and incorporates feedback from the students. The black and white photographs shown are of the chain work produced by the students as well as the author.

Loop-in-loop is the description of how chains are constructed with each chain link looping within each other to form a chain. Examples of this type of chain are on the front cover of the book.

The classical chains covered in this book are described as single loop-in-loop, side-weave single, single though-bead, basic pinched loop, roman pinched loop, pinched loop with wrapped beads, pinched loop through-beads, basic double loop-in-loop, double with wrapped beads, weave-off double, two-way double loop-in-loop, three-way double loop-in-loop, four-way double loop-in-loop, multiple soldered single, multiple soldered pinched loop, pinched loop with spacers, multiple woven single mesh, multiple woven double. In all 34 chains are described, 16 derivatives of the 18 definitely attributed ancient style of chains.

The main emphasis of this instruction work is on using fine silver and fusing to form whole links incorporating annealing, and then shaping into the links, and then forming the chain. Detailed step-by-step instructions are given on forming links up front, and then each chain has instructions on how to shape the required link, and then form into the chain. This book clearly explains and demonstrates these techniques and processes.

Each chain has a list of the materials needed (in inches and gauges (thickness) - appendices contain conversions) to make it at a given length. These can be used as references for links/inch or used to adjust as necessary to form a necklace or bracelet of given length. An appendix is supplied which gives recommended dowel diameters for the wire gauges for making variations to basic chains. The authors viewpoint is that making chains is an art form, and this book is to develop the students abilities and to encourage their own subsequent development and personal refinement of explained techniques.

Although primarily based on fine silver work (sterling is unsuitable for these techniques - if you solder links that is a different technique), the book does cover how to produce fused chains in 22K gold (including 22k gold metal alloy composition that was used in antiquity and for which these techniques work best).

There is a 25 page chapter on clasps and terminations, cross referenced with what chains they are suitable for, and the chains are cross referenced with what clasps and terminations are suitable.

This book does not have colour photographs. It has diagrams (at enlarged sizes for easier viewing) showing how to form the chain links and join with the next link and or terminate. Black and white photographs show finished chains and/or portions of finished chains. There are no photographs of ancient chains, and very little information on any apart from the detailed instructions on how to make them. Occasionally there are snippets about the existence of such an ancient chain, and even where it is located.

If you do not currently possess silverworking/chainworking tools you will need to purchase them to make the chains in this book, as well as needing work bench space. There are details in the book about what tools you will need, and for the USA where to obtain them. This book does not go over any of the safety aspects of using blowtorches or kilns. Please make sure you have on instruction on these before proceeding.

With the price of silver (and gold) the making of the chains will not be inexpensive, but if you wish to learn how to make a number of chains, this book will explain how.

This is a well organised, well presented instructional book. I would suggest to re-read the two pages covering "Weaving" and "Achieving best results" with "common problems and how to avoid them" before commencing each chain.

This is the best chain making book available. Chain making is an art form that was in danger of becoming lost. The authors have packed a wealth of knowledge about chain making... methods, materials and techniques and then lead you on an inspiring journey of loop in loop chains. Starting out simply and working up to a some very complicated chains. The instructions are clear and precise, the illustrations are very helpful and the pictures of the chains themselves make you want to continue on your chain making journey.

If you are comfortable soldering or fusing metal, this is a great book to begin making chains. If you aren't comfortable with soldering or fusing then this isn't a book for you. Although the chains included will inspire you to learn fusing/soldering, none of these chains can be made without those skills. Irene From Peterson's books will give you a great introduction to chain making via butted chainmaille with open jump rings.

Otherwise, get out the torch, or kiln (they explain how to fuse the rings with a kiln), the fine silver or 22kt gold rings and get ready for a wonderous journey into chain making.

Thank you to the authors for sharing their vast knowledge of loop in loop chain making. This is one of those classic texts that perserves the knowledge of the Masters and passes it down to those yet to come.

i find this book to be a great help when i am desiging necklaces, bracelets and even drop earrings. this is something every jeweler needs in their library.

If you're a jeweler or metalworking hobbyist with an interest in chain making, you can't do better than to start here. This is a well laid-out, succinctly written guide to many different types of ancient chains, and modern variations on those techniques. While the black-and-white photos and straightforward layout might make this book seem a bit spartan compared to the lavish production of other jewelry books, in this case, less is certainly more. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, and the illustrations show just what you need to see and no more (unlike some jewelry books that baffle the reader with images unrelated to the text). Also, the tables provide a quick and easy way to customize the projects - don't want to use 22 ga. wire? Here's the size of rings you'll have to make for 24! On a less content-oriented note, I tend to dislike spiral bindings, but this one is self-covered, so it lies flat, but doesn't entangle itself with odds and ends on your workbench.

It says a lot for this book that I was able, on a whim, to make a single two-way (bi-directional) chain that turned out very beautifully, even though I made it (against the author's advice) out of soldered sterling links. It was an engrossing enough undertaking that I just ordered an ounce of 24 ga. fine silver wire (in spite of mounting silver prices :P ) and I can't wait to start on the next chain. I think I'll go for the two-way double this time!

I have to agree with the other 5 star writers. Pound for pound (makes a difference in your backpack) this book is hard to beat. I find it more complete than Secrets of Anesthesia, and more user friendly than Miller. If you want to learn 100 ways to not do something, and read conflicting studies then go for Miller, otherwise "M & M" is king. Besides, I challenge anyone to bring Barash or Miller into the OR with them for a quick reference...

I just updated my older, well read copy recently. This is still my favorite anesthesia resource, the book I grab when I want to refresh my memory about this or that.
No, it's not as in depth as many, but it IS easy to read, and the major points are well covered.
Whether novice or experienced practitioner, this book has much to offer.

I used the third edition of this book for my writtens and orals. I am fellowed in cardiothoracic anesthesia, and boarded in pain medicine. It is more than comprehensive enough for everday practice, and it is more than enough to get you through the written boards, and will certainly help with the orals. Miller, Barash (is there an etc to these two choices?) are much more comprehensive, but they are highly dependent upon the writers of each chapter: while some are great reading, others ramble on incessantly about studies which show effects on giant squid axons, or how 3-74% of rats will react when their tails are clamped. And who can forget the effects of isoflurane on the livers of salamanders? Morgan-Mikhail is put together logically, it is highly readable, and it is extremely affordable, and while it won't give you every answer, it's a good start.

It is a good basic book that covers the essentilas very clearly in not too long chapters. It is a good entry level book for doctors during their first year of residence in anesthesia.
Also for the doctor that needs to update his knowledge.

My personal experience and the reason for buying the book was that I after 5 years i neuroanesthesia needed an update prior to a period as an anesthesiologist in a not specialised department. In this way the book served its purpose well.

This would be an optimal choice for most medical students with a special interest in anasthesia as well as for anaesthesia residents. It's extremely well-written, neither too detailed nor too simple. The authors write with authority, which is a good thing.

If I had to say something negative about this book, it would be the lack of colourful illustrations (this refers to edition elder to the 2005 edition). But then again, one knows what to expect when buying a Lange medical book. Still, this is a minor drawback, and means nothing in my eyes. I highly recommend this book!

This book is the most wonderful Encyclopedia about Barbie dolls. It has so many dolls listed with descriptions, prices and pics of the dolls in their boxes. Many pink boxes, OOAK Mattel dolls and collectibles. Pictures are nice, they are from the doll in box, and there are closes on some dolls.

If you need information on Pink Boxes, this book is the best!!! There are a new version 'cos this is not updated, the dolls showed ends on 1999. There are no 2000 dolls or 2001. But there are a second edition, so search for the new edition!

I have looked at many many books trying to find one that would help me to easily identify Barbie. Well folks, this is it! The pictures are wonderful, brightly colored and large enough to see detail. This is a "Must Have" book if you are a collector. (or if you buy used dolls to make up an OOAK) Well worth the money spent. I highly recommend!

I just received the COLLECTOR'S ENCYCLOPEDIA of BARBIE by JMichael Augustyniak. I thought I knew a lot about the value of eachdoll, I sell them and buy them regularly right here on amazon.com auctions. However, I opened the pages of this book and it is fantastic and a must for any serious collector. All the photos are in color, by date, series, it is all in this book. You will be amazed that some Barbies are valued in high 5 figures! I'm so glad I have this reference. Everyone who is interested in Barbie should! END

Maravilloso libro ! , poseo la 1ra y 2da Edicion, y son fabulosos, fotos hermosas y claras, muy bien las descripciones de cada muñeca...,Gracias Micael Augustiniak ! desde San Luis ,Argentina RITA REVUELTO

This book was very informative regarding dolls and values. I wish it would have had more of the "Special Edition" models and values though. Lots of pictures that are a good size for viewing and easy to see.

This book is put together very well, the index pages in the back make it easy to locate the dolls that you are looking for. I am a beginner and this book was very helpful for me to put a value on the dolls that I already have.

Karen Hesse captures a beautiful moment in this book. She expertly creates a scorching, wilting summer day with vivid images. My mouth was parched just reading it, and then the rain came. You'll love the images created here of the "bare-legged mamas" and girls, both from Hesse's beautiful writing and Muth's spectacular watercolor illustrations.

Tessie, watchful and pigtailed, wants it to rain in her neighborhood. It is on a hot sunny day and a little girl named Tessie wants it to rain. She has pigtails. She carries around her umbrella, holds out her hand, and hopes it will rain. She has a wonderful relationship with her mother. This story is by Karen Hesse. Karen Hesse worked real hard with Jon J. Muth. They worked and made a wonderful book. It is very poetic.

I found the book "Come On, Rain!" at our local library and immediately picked it up. The first thing you will notice about this beautiful book are the gorgeous ilustrations! The pictures in this book are lovely and the prose is so happy and full of the anticipation everyone feels on a hot summer day while waiting for a cooling rain. You and you children will love this book!

"Come on, rain!" are the fervent words of Tess, as she looks toward the sky with a great deal of anticipation and hope. It has not rained in 3 weeks. Therefore, everyone in Tess's neighborhood and city was hoping for rain to bring relief from the scorching heat. Well, the best part of this story is that it seems her fervent words finally reached the clouds; for "over rooftops, past chimneys, into the way off distance . . . clouds came rolling in." As soon as Tess realizes that her wish for rain was on the way, she quickly gathers her close friends together (and their mothers too) to run, dance and play in the wonderful rain showers that fall upon the city.

The watercolor illustrations of Jon Muth do an excellent job of enhancing the movement of Ms. Hesse's story. The opening illustrations of bright yellow and gold give readers a sense of how hot and oppressive the heat was for Tess's neighborhood and city. Gradually as the rain clouds moves in, hues of soft grays, brown, and greens are used to depict the moments just before rain falls from the sky. By the time rain actually comes, the illustrations are filled with splashes of pink, violet and blues, which represent the renewal of spirit and feelings of relief for all in the city. You know, this is more than just another weather story! It is a story that shows how rain, a powerful element of nature, has the ability to invigorate all of life!

This lyrical ode to the coming rain, accompanied by the soothing wash of lush watercolors, make Hesse's Come on, Rain! sure to please young children. In prose that reads like poetry, young Tessie bemoans the heat of summer while waiting with confidence that rain will soon come. Along with her multicultural friends and all their mammas, Tessie dances in gratitude for the refreshing wetness the rain bestows. While the lyrical prose is of such beautiful quality it could stand on its own, the soft watercolor illustrations portray the emotions of the characters in such lovely detail; the two, the prose and illustrations, combine to create a delightful work of art. Even with the vertical lines of rain which one would expect to stop the motion of the story, Muth manages to create a sense of flowing from left to right, page to page, in keeping with the cadence of the text by using achromatic colors for the backgrounds of most pages. Recommended for children ages 4-8. Public librarians may want to share this title in a storytime about rain, along with Bill Martin's Listen to the Rain.

This is perhaps the most gripping World War II era thriller I have ever read (and fantasy is my more usual genre).

It pits the wits between a hyper-intelligent 11 year old, against the equally brilliant mind of a professor, who for the most part uses his rank in the Nazi military machine to further his own ends (which isn't money - he is somewhat depraved, and a borderline sociopath). In a nutshell, the boy has a wealth of information stored in his head concerning bank account information, which is worth a fortune, and the Nazis want the information so that they can access those funds. The daddy to which the title refers is the boy's biological father, who makes a late entrance in the book, yet does a lot to bring the boy out of his shell, not to mention doing some truly heroic things to protect the boy.

My only fault with the novel are the two main characters (Thomas, the boy, and Gregor, the professor). The mind of the boy is brilliant, yet robotic, often referring to the thought processes of his brain as "the machine", which made me often wonder if the author was going to reveal that the child was really some bizarrely futuristic android. The professor, on the other hand is openly contemptuous of the third Reich and it's officers, something I highly doubt would be tolerated considering the fanatical zeal of the Nazi supporters during that era.

However, if you can get past those two points, you will discover a taut, well crafted thriller, which is very difficult to put down, outlining the battle between these two brilliant minds who see everything as a game of chess, willing to sacrifice everything to put the other in checkmate.

While the ending is somewhat abrupt, I would nonetheless highly recommend this book.

This is one of the most "sitting on the edge of my chair" books I ever read. The publisher should definitely reprint the English edition. It is within my all-time top 5 favorite stories of the past 40 years.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I won't even lend my copy out unless I buy another one as back up. Daddy by Loup Durand is so far and above any other Thriller. The characters are so vivid and the plot is so intricate it grabs you by the throat on the first few pages and pulls you threw the entire book before you look up and realize you've read till four in the morning again. This book inspired me to start writing thrillers; I hope I'll be worthy of it.

This is the story of a young genius, his unknown father, their evil enemy (a Nazi officer yet) and their travails as they run across Europe. It is both poignant and dramatic as they both dance the familiar patterns of a father and son discovering as much about themselves as each other. The character of the boy is especially well-told - from his terror to his confusion.

I have read this book several times and have never failed to enjoy the read. It may be hard to find but the search is certainly worth the effort.

This story would count as a very long THRILLER, if done by Graham Greene. It tells of an endless chase on behalf of wartime Nazis of a prepubescent multi-lingual boy who carries in his head data on hundreds of accounts whose contents have the smell of wealth to the masters of the Third Reich. It is about human intelligence and its foibles: in the boy, his German tormentors and his Daddy--a title which his playboy turned hero biological father earns in spades as he seeks to save his reluctant son not just from Nazis but also from his inner demons.+++

It is hard to believe that this is a translation from another language (French) into English. I would go so far as to say that this is the first translated novel I have ever read that does not read like a translation.

So kudos all around. This is sheer diversion. Made for a movie serial.The game's afoot!
-OOO-

This book is a amazing book of Heroic Truth. It tells the truth about many of the literal hells of the 20th century, the countless deaths of millions. It is also the first book i have seen that actually deals with all murders by people/goverments.
In the Kellog-Briand act, if they wanted to outlaw WAR, they should have first outlawed Geonicide and Mass Murder. This may sound strange to many who think of war as the most evil thing of mankind, but in fact, it isnt. War has some loose honor, and loose rules, but they are still there. Geonicide has no rules. Geonicide, and Deomicide are just killing, pursuing, and exterminating.
This book offers a great perspective, and should be read by every living being capable of reading, and if they cant read, then it should be read aloud to them by someone else. This should be taught in all courses, all curiculums,and all course in colleges.
This book is a difficult read, but a must read. But remember though, many of these numbers for many of the atrocities are low, and he figures out the numbers by averaging high numbers and low numbers, which in the case of some, like the USSR, and the 32 million low, were placed by the USSR itself to just make propogande and make the thought into peoples minds. The Low for the USSR is at least 50 million, no less. It could very likely go up to 100 million, if you think about it too, and thus the number of Stalin's murders would go up to, as the other USSR Leaders werent as brutal as him.
China's Murder is also a extreme low. The number Mao Zedong killed is at estimates of a incomprehendable 6 million all-time low record, like saying Fat albert is a light-weight, and the number for mao is at about 35 - 56+ million murdered. This causes some strange statistics.
Overall this book is a classic and book that should be honored as much as the Bible.

R.J. Rummel has spent his career assembling data on genocide, politicide and other government mass murder (studying more than 8,200 reports with estimates). He introduced a concept he calls "democide" which includes genocide, politicide, mass murder, and indiscriminate killing of civilians. It does not include battle deaths or collateral damage. He is using a scientific methodology that he applies consistently to come up with consistent mid-range estimates for democide. His findings are horrifying. 170 million people were murdered in the 20th century alone. Later he revised this number to 262 million. For comparison, it is estimated that 70 million people died from famine in the 20th century, 25 million has died from AIDS, 250 million died from Malaria in the 20th century, and 300 million from small pox. In conclusion democide killed considerably more people than war, famine, and AIDS and as much people as the two worst 20th century diseases. It should also be noted that previous centuries were just as democidal.

Rummels book "Statistics of Democide" presents his findings in great detail (very long lists of statistics), and additional information can be found on his web site. This book "Death by Government" gives some statistics on the topic, but the focus of the book is not on the statistics but descriptions of the democides and the regimes that perpetrated them. Therefore this book is easier to read and perhaps a bit more interesting (but just as gruesome) compared to "Statistics of Democide". However, "Statistics of Democide" is a better factoid resource.

In this book he describes the following murder regimes and their democides in more detail: Soviet Gulag State (62M), Chinese Communist Anthill (35M later revised to 78M), The Nazi Genocide State (21M mostly genocide), The Depraved Nationalist Regime, KMT (10M), Japans Savage Military (6M), The Hell State Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge (2M), Turkeys Genocidal Purges (1.9M), The Vietnamese War State (Vietcong) (1.7M), Poland's Ethnic Cleansing after the war (1.6M), The Pakistani Cutthroat state (1.5M), Titos Slaughter House (1.1M), Orwellian North Korea (1.7M), Barbarous Mexico (1.4M), Feudal Russia (1.1M). M=million killed.

The descriptions of the democides are horrific and very sad. The big questions are how can these things happen? People can be very cruel and brutal towards each other that is for sure, but regimes that hold a lot of power over their citizens are the regimes that will commit these crimes. To quote from Rummels web site: "Why do dictators kill and make war? Is it for glory; for things, for beliefs, for hatred, for power? Yes, but more, because they can". Regimes that can't do it won't. Democratic regimes, especially liberal democracies commit very little democide.

It is bewildering to reflect on how many people were murdered in the 20th century by the hand of brutish governments. According to this book's estimates, the figure is around 169,000,000. This one-of-a-kind book is an indispensible compendium that informs the reader about why these mass murders were carried out, but more importantly, how. Hopefully, we will one day learn the lessons of history and stop these kinds of atrocities before they are allowed to reach the magnitude of those chronicled here.

Rummel delves into the historical tensions that brought about most of the conflicts that lead to mass exterminations. Many of us may know nothing beyond the basics about Stalin's Great Terror or Hitler's Holocaust. What's frightening to realize as you read this book is how the demagoguery that lead to these mass murder incidents is not all that far removed from what we hear from some of our own politicians today.

The author also goes into quite a bit of detail about some of the lesser known campaigns of genocide (or democide, as he insists on calling it) of the 20th century, such as that of Turkey against the Armenians, and incidents by the Polish, Japanese, and Pakistanis.

This is an important book. I believe it is one of the most important books I've ever read. No one who considers himself a serious scholar of 20th century history can omit this book from his collection.

And with reason. There is none of the sacrifice, drama or nobility reported in battles. It's not about Thermopylae or Gettysburg.

This is an account of what humanity has done to itself--and continues to this day. It's a book on comparitive demonology. One almost gets the impression that a soldier ripping a baby from his mother's arms, tossing it in the air and catching it on the point of his bayonet is the rule, not the exception. Ditto for POW's captured by front line troops.

The author is a professor of Political Science who finds it amazing that his colleagues write texts on the purposes of government, yet fail to mention that (with the possible exception of the Jewish victims of Nazi genocide) instead of protecting citizens from "the savagery of the jungle" by rule of law, governments have and continue to be, THE greatest killers of all.

"Democide" is the word he coins to combine genocide (murdering because of membership in a hated race, ethnicity,or religion,) plus politicide ( murdering for political purposes, e.g; dissidents ) and mass murder (indiscriminate killing).

Democide is always committed by governments. It is as organized as taxation or road building. Discounting civilians accidentally killed in cross-fires, or even in the aerial bombardments of cities, this still leaves horrifying numbers.

Pre-Twentieth Century? An estimate of 169,198,000 human beings massacred. Since this includes the victims of Genghis Khan, Incas, Conquistadors, etc., There's an obscene tendency to see them as not quite human, not quite real due to the distance in time. So Tarmelane, the Turkish conqueror slaughtered 100,000 people outside of Delhi and he liked to make pyramids of human heads?--Who cares?--Just stuff in history books. . .

Is WW2 is close enough? We all know about the 6 million Jews, but did you know that constituted only aprox 13% of the victims of The Nazi Genocide State?

Overall, by genocide, euthanasia, killing of hostages, reprisal raids, starvation, forced labor camps and so forth the figure is anywhere from 15 to 31 million, most likely 21 million. Rummel admits he may be off somewhat in numbers, but certainly not as to the State's intentions. The Nazis still head the list when it comes to killing people in occupied territories, with the Imperial Japanese Military being second.

As to murdering one's own people, it's estimated some 35,236,000 for the Communist Chinese Anthill. The author notes that those who were shocked by the 1989 Beijing massacre of students, really shouldn't have been--it's the norm. But even that figure is topped by 54,800,000 victims of The Soviet Gulag State.

(Not counting an additional 5-7 million comprised of German POW's plus non-combatants deliberately murdered by The Red Army).

For sheer numbers, Stalin is our grand prize winner in brutality. In terms of percentage, however, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot beats his insanity--they wiped out nearly one third of all Cambodians.

The chapter on The Vietnamese War State is most instructive, not just for the total toll of 1,670,000 victims but for the inferences Rummel draws: Before the U.S. entered the war, the Viet Minh were already as hardened a bunch of mass killers as the most disciplined SS units under Himmler. America had no idea what it was getting itself get into.

The Balkans are something else. Off the scale.

Required reading.

Professor Rummel's work, Death By Government, is a product of eight years of research into the roots and causes of Democide - defined as the intentional killing by governments through genocide, politicide, and arbitrary mass murder of its people. The cornerstones of current U.S foreign policy - centered around fostering democratic freedom - are based upon Professor Rummel's correct observation, that liberal democracies promote the greater peace and they are essential to eliminating Democide and ending wars between nations. Through empirical research the evident truths become exposed and the reader is left with the overall understanding that absolute power corrupts and leads to the murder of a governments' people and that only through restricting and checking power can these horrors be restrained. Democracies virtually never make war on each other and the more democratic two governments, the less the likelihood of violence between them. So not only is democracy a solution to domestic democide, but globalizing democracy is also a solution to war. The existence and spread of liberal democracies (not just electoral democracies, but liberal democracies in terms of civil and political rights and liberties) provides the long run hope for the elimination of democide and war. Professor Rummel astutely notes that power's relationship to democide is on a continuum - the more absolute the power, the more democide. The problem is Power. The solution is democracy. The course of action is to foster freedom.

Great illustrations in this book. It will make it fun for you to learn to draw horses.

This book brings many creative ways for any age to draw a variety of horses. I ordered it for my daughter's birthday, because she was going for a horseback ride and it would help keep the memories fresh for her. She enjoys drawing on a more professional level; thanks to this book.

My daughter loves horses and constantly tries to draw them. This shows her the steps in order to draw a great looking horse!

This is a awsome book! it tells you step by step how to draw any kind of horse you want too. it is easy for anyone, like me, i'm definetly a beginner! If you love horses like i do, then you will love this book!

This is a awsome book! it tells you step by step how to draw any kind of horse you want too. it is easy for anyone, like me, i'm definetly a beginner! If you love horses like i do, then you will love this book!

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).

My kids really liked the book, but it has an element of death. It is labeled as for seven and up, but I personally prefer children's stories to be lighter in subject matter. If this was read to a very young child, parents would probably need to have a discussion about death with them. What my kids liked best: the fox helping the squirrel, the dwarf and his secrets, and the black stag because the fairies got to ride on his antlers.

In this installment of The Fairy Chronicles, several new fairies are introduced. The same fairy team of the first three books is present, except Dragonfly on vacation with family, but Periwinkle is added to the mix. She is a Native American fairy with special skills coinciding with her culture, to add to her fairy gift of sun tolerance to fit with pink periwinkles. I have been buying these for my granddaughter. Since I only see her about once a month, I get to read her books before gifting them to her. She agrees with me that Firefly and the Black Squirrel is wonderful. When the fairies go to their Fairy Circle, more fairies are introduced. We can't wait for their adventures. We took a drive to a park last week and along the way we saw what we deemed as purple meadows and white meadows. They weren't the same as the ones in the book, but we still had fun imagining that there were fairies flitting about them on a fun adventure. We really liked this book.

Firefly and the Quest of the Black Squirrel has a fantastic assortment of characters: dwarf, black squirrel, goblin, twenty plus assorted fairies with six being the main participants in this fairy mission, bees, hornets, birds, brownies, the magical Black Stag, the Shadow of Death, and a magical creature known as a squit. Each of these characters is given a colorful personality, even the bees and hornets, to add to the intricate kaleidoscope. The squit, Firecracker, who is a furry, fluffy creature about the size of a basketball when dry (and a baseball when wet) has a wonderful personality. The fact that he might not even be real adds a certain charm to this book, making it extremely memorable. My two children loved this story, and I am looking forward to reading it again and sharing it with other family and friends. I think this book would appeal to a multitude of readers, and I do recommend it along with the others in this series. The books contain activities and nature facts in the backs as a bonus.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Firefly is a fairy. She goes camping with her friends. They go to Fairy Circle and meet new fairies. They go on a Quest to save all black squirrels. I like this book because they are saving black squirrels. Most books the people go and save other people. The fairies save the black squirrels and they end up saving people too. I didn't know there were black squirrels, but they are real. The dwarf has a squit named Firecracker. The fairies get to ride on the antlers of the black stag. They find blue moon clover to save the squirrels. This is a good book.

Just a fantastic book. I am not sure what I can add to further comments already added other than this book hit the spot for sincerity, truthfulness, and captivity of worthwhile imagination. I have just sent it to a friend that teaches English in Libya as I am assured that a wonderful book like this can only enhance her "desert experience" abroad as well.

This book documents the experiences and internal struggles of a Jesuit priest through his experiences in the Gulag, and thereafter in Soviet society. It is engaging and thoughtful. A friend of mine recommended it as a source of inspiration and hope, and it delivers that and more.

Fr. Cizek relates his experience with honesty about his own weaknesses, doubts, and human frailty. He has a way of weaving into his story a sense of his own faith and belief in Providential tendencies to bring ultimate good. At the same time, he does not neglect human responsibility. For example, though seemingly helpless and subject to the will of his captors, Fr. Cizek explains: "What each man can change, first of all, is himself. And each will have -- indeed must have -- some influence on the people God brings into his life each day."

The discussion of his experiences as a priest in the gulag, as well as in the post-gulag experiences in Soviet cities, also brings out the depth of religious belief in the human experience. Despite the efforts of Communist party officials to indoctrinate in atheism, the people just were not buying it. In fact, in some cases the young people took to religion as a way of rebelling.

A good read, and one which you may want to read again from time to time to pick up new insights.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am so glad I took her advice. Fr. Ciszek's story is inspirational and incredible. His account of the hardships he encountered and how he relied on his faith to see him through is. . . amazing beyond words. As a Catholic, I was awed and comforted by this man's graceful acceptance of the will of God in his life, even to the extent of suffering. His story of finding goodness and meaning in an imprisoned existence is a wonderful testament to the strength of the human spirit, not to mention the strength of faith.

Matthew Kelly (see [...]) recommended "He Leadeth Me" by Walter Ciszek, S.J., to me as it had a significant influence on him and his spiritual journey. The book has also had a profound influence on me, so much so, that I cannot get it out of my mind.

In "He Leadeth Me," U.S. born Ciszek recounts his life as a Catholic priest who enthusiastically volunteered for preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments in communist Russia and ended up spending twenty three agonizing years in Soviet prisons, including five years of solitary confinement in Moscow's feared Lubianka prison and fifteen years of hard labor in Siberian prison camps.

Upon his return to the US in 1963, as part of an exchange for two convicted Russian spies, Ciszek was asked over and over again how he survived. "He Leadeth Me" is his response. This book is about the faith he discovered and the simple truths he learned by trial and error. Truths he came to appreciate only after much anguish of soul and a great deal of prayerful reflection; truths that sustained him through the years of doubt and darkness, of hardship and suffering.

The learned truth that threads its way throughout the book is that no one can know greater peace, no one can achieve a greater sense of fulfillment in his life than the man who believes in the truth of the faith and strives daily to put it into practice. "A spirituality based on complete trust in God is the surest guarantee of peace of soul and freedom of spirit."

There are moments of crisis in every life, moments of anxiety and fear, moments of frustration and opposition, moments sometimes even of terror. Only by a lively faith can man live in peace among the tensions of the world. Faith is the fulcrum of our moral and spiritual balance - our powerlessness to solve the problems of evil, sin, injustice, suffering, and even death will not be a cause of despair or despondency when we have an unshakable trust and confidence in God.

After great anguish, doubt, and repeated resistance by Ciszek, he submitted to the will of God realizing that every moment of our life has a purpose, that every action of ours, no matter how dull or routine or trivial it may seem in itself, has a dignity and a worth beyond human understanding. No moment can be wasted, no opportunity missed, since each has a purpose in God's plan. We need to strive to know God's will and to do it each day of our lives - working this out with constant effort and attention to just those persons and circumstances God presents to us each day. He expects no more of us, but He will expect nothing less of us, and we fail in our promise and commitment if we do not see in situations of every moment of every day of His divine will.

God asks for the complete gift of self...absolute faith in His existence, His providence, His power to sustain me, and His love perfecting me. While it sounds all too simple, one quickly learns how difficult it is when they try to put it into practice. "Is this too simple or are we just afraid really to believe it, to accept it fully, to yield ourselves up to it in total commitment? This is the ultimate question of faith, and each must answer this for himself. But to answer it in the affirmative is to know peace, to discover a meaning to life that surpasses all understanding."

"He Leadeth Me," first published in 1972, is a classic and continues as an all-time best seller. Ciszek has written a powerful testimony that will challenge your view of life and, possibly, a source of a transfiguration. "It is my hope, indeed my prayer that what I have learned and come to understand so slowly and painfully might be of service to others. God is a most patient teacher, even to the most stubborn of students."

I started reading He Leadeth Me because I thought it might have some interesting thoughts on God and suffering, as a general concept. I had no idea, however, how very applicable Fr. Ciszek's hard-learned insights would be to my day-to-day life as the average American stay-at-home mom.

The wisdom he learned after five years in solitary confinement and 20+ years at a Siberian slave labor camp is not just how to grow closer to God in the face of great upheaval and suffering, but how to know and live God's will in the face of the frustrating, the humdrum, and the mundane.

I can't recommend this book highly enough to everyone -- whether you're experiencing great suffering or just frustrated by the daily grind, you will undoubtedly find Fr. Ciszek's story life-changing.