N Books

While it's size may seem like overkill, this book packs a punch! Once you open it you'll see that it is definitely worth the money you'll pay for it. The photographs are really great and they give you a really cool behind the scenes look at the sets of the entire Star Wars Saga. Many of these pictures have never been published, so that alone is a very neat feature! And this book is more than just a pretty picture as it has some really well written and informative bits that I had very little understanding of before I read it. I now have a better grasp of set building and computer animation and special effects. I recommend this to any Star Wars Fan!

WOW - photos I've never seen anywhere else! What a fun non-read this is!!!! For sure a book to talk about and keep on a coffee table! Small, packed and colorful!

This book offers a very nice mixture of inside views to the making of the original Star Wars movies as the new series Episode I to III. Each day (or double page) is showing one aspect of this amazing series with lots of pictures and information waiting for you.

Only downside in my opinion is that it is a bit too much focused on the new Episodes even though there is tons of information about the original movies too.

On the other hand you have a CD with 360-degree-views of some sets and some rare pictures on your PC!

All together this might be the perfect gift for a Star Wars fan like me ;-) 5 Stars!

This book is not the same old thing. It features pictures I'd not see anywhere else. Its a very heavy, very thick book full of great behind the scenes stuff. Worth every penny. I just wish John Knoll would make an equivelant book for Pirates of the Caribbean.

This book is really cool for most Star Wars lovers. It shows you how they filmed the movie. You can see who played the Wampa. I think the coolest part is Mustafar because you can see the lava river bank. You can also see on one page all the Astromech droids. You can also see alot of cool other stuff.
You should buy this book if you're a Star Wars fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Myles Munroe is an excellent author and this book will give help you with what God has given you to do. My goal is read all of his books, all of his books are great, he's one of my favorites.

If you want to really, fully understand how and why one is given a Christian spiritual gift like purpose and vision you will truly enjoy reading this book....it's hard for me to put it down...and I'm only into the 3rd chapter. Myles Monroe has been given a rare gift of explaining the actual "mechanics" of various spiritual gifts in terms that are so plain and understandable....I've read his book on prayer as well "Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer" it was TERRIFIC!! I can't wait to order another one of his books when I get through with this one.

I can't get enough of this book, every page is an "aha" moment. It's taking me to the next level. I think the book was written just for me, answering/addressing the questions I've had & couldn't seem to figure out the answers.

Myles Munroe has done it again! In his own uniquely simplistic way of informing people who are searching, of the principles in scripture which help us to move forward in the purpose that God has given each of us. Munroe shows us how to identify the talents that God has given us and to utilize them to our fullest potential. This book along with the study guide helps the reader to remain on track in regard to prioritizing what is really important in life. The fulfillment of our individual purpose for being. It's not about competition, it's about purpose!!

I had the opportunity of taking a class on this book. The book is awesome. It made me think seriously on somethings I wanted to do in my life. One statement in this book was, "Stop procrastinating and hoping you will eventually get somewhere in life. Decide whether you're going to get a curse or a blessing." Revelation 3:15-16

I decided I would rather have a blessing and began to focus more towards my purpose in life. Knowing that God is my source and He would never give me a vision or assignment that I am not equipped for.

I also liked the Chapter Principles at the end of each chapter (ie. "If you don't have a plan, God doesn't have anything specific to direct you in.").

Whether you're a gay parent or the child of gay parents (or neither!), you'll want to read this wonderful book. I found it compelling and engaging. It's comprehensive and thoughtful, addressing issues you're wondering about and questions you didn't even know you had. It's beautifully written, thorough, and comes from the heart. Get one for yourself and give one as a gift. You'll be glad you did.

I just finished reading your book, and it made me cry. (And I don't cry easily.) Your insights and perspective were profound, for me, and I'm sure for countless others who have read, and will read, your words.

I am a gay dad, and my son is currently three years old. It took my partner 15 years to convince me to adopt, and I did so reluctantly. I grew up in the 60s and 70s and was led to believe by all I heard and saw that my sexuality not only defined me, but limited me. I did not believe I was worthy, capable, allowed or justified to raise a child, or children, even after having mine placed in my arms the day he was born. I've come a long way as a parent in the past few years. But there remained lingering doubts about my ability to prepare my son for his unusual road ahead.

After reading your book, I'm relieved, hopeful, and mostly thankful to have such an eloquent reference tool. As a GLBT person, and now parent, I cannot satisfactorily tell you how meaningful your book is, or how fortunate I feel to have you as an advocate.

This really should be required reading for everyone in our society.

I'm a lesbian mom raising a son, so I was excited to find a book that claimed to be about families like ours. Unfortunately, I found the book quite a disappointment. The author does explain in the prologue that, since she was interviewing people in their 20s and 30s, most of them predate the "gayby" boom and are actually children of heterosexual marriages, with a parent later coming out as gay or lesbian. This would explain the big emphasis in her book on topics like how to come out to your kids, custody issues and contention between the gay parent and the straight one, break-ups in general, problems amongst extended family with new partners, etc. Most of it would be irrelevant to gay or lesbian people that come out before conceiving or adopting children, whether as couples or on their own.

Also, while the book was published in 2004, the author spent 8 years researching it, and most of the folks interviewed were in their 20s or 30s. So most of the experiences these grown children talk about it -- issues at school, with friends, with parents dying of AIDS, and society in general -- would have happened from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. Where I am, in Massachusetts in 2008, the landscape looks pretty different. Kids may still make nasty cracks at school, but the teachers are very unlikely to. Kids don't assume that if your mom is a lesbian, you might give them AIDS. When I introduce my partner at church, people don't think we're in business together. And while the whole chapter on parents dying of AIDS is probably invaluable to the grown children who had to deal with that, I don't know any gay or lesbian families with young children who struggle with that now.

It was mildly interesting from a general historical/sociological point-of-view. But I didn't find it at all helpful from a parenting point-of-view, and it's not a book I would want my 10-year-old son to read, since I think it paints a far gloomier picture of society than what he is likely to encounter. As far as the book's title goes, instead of "Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is," maybe "Children of Formerly Straight Parents Tell It Like It Was," would be more accurate. Judging by the research the author has done, clearly there's a sizable demographic there. But neither my family nor my son is part of it.

This book is a heartwarming panorama of the viewpoints and experiences of kids with gay parents. I am the adult daughter of gay fathers, and as I grew up I did not really have the luxury of knowing there were others like me. That I was a grown and married woman before I discovered this does not detract from the immense value of the lesson.

When I received this book, I read it from cover to cover in one day, relentlessly devouring the many pearls of wisdom and insight shared by those like me, these fabulously different queerspawn with that one silvery, similar skein woven throughout their lives. It was a wonder to hear these voices in their choir, flawlessly directed by Abigail Garner, finally allowed to sing and sing well of their lives without fear of reprisal, without shame. Too long had I lived without the knowledge contained within; each paragraph had me nearly shouting affirmations. It is far too easy to believe that you are alone, and the stories recorded here are a blessed reminder otherwise.

There is tremendous worth in the accessibility of these anecdotes, and they all reveal a vital part of the larger picture of our lives. It is often difficult to speak of these issues with friends or even family, but the freedom of these stories is infectious. I cannot begin to express how much that alone helped me in my own journey. These stories show most sweetly that we are normal, we are zany, we are troubled, we are compassionate, that we are the legacy of the parents who raised us, and we are much, much more than just the sum of these things.

For long and long, we have been invalidated, conveniently ignored or pushed aside for the sake of political and social agendas. This book purposes to change that. There is no agenda here, just the timeless, often hilarious, often tragic stories of the children of gay parents. Families Like Mine should be a staple in the literary diet of anyone whose life is even remotely tangential to queer culture. Moreover, I daresay that anyone who is involved in the great debate about children and LGBT parents should be required to read these pages and glean wisdom from the stories within, to see that we are really no different than any other children raised in a more traditional manner. But then, what could be more traditional than love and stability and a family that rallies with pride and care around its members?

I just came out Aug '06. The book taught me that kids have to "come out" about their parents (or may choose to hide it) and it's okay! Also, my multi-sexual eldest does not want to be categorized, and it's okay! Glad to have it on my shelf.

The Frommers are terrific interviewees and their book is a history and an entertainment resource about the Catskills - what else would we expect from oral historians of their rank.

GREAT INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE CATSKILLS WERE ALL ABOUT

WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF REMINISCENCES

wonderful oral history - - -covers a lot of territory

While working at the Nevele Country Club, one of the many legendary Catskill resorts covered in this magnificent document, I briefly met Myrna and Harvey Frommer while doing their research. They probably don't remember me, I was too young at the time to offer the kind of history they were looking for, but the pair's enthusiasm and obvious love for the area's resorts and their unique (now long gone) familial atmosphere was readily apparent. When I finally got to read this book, it provided me with a sense of pride for being a part of its history. There's even an ancient picture of my father playing sax in the old Art Kahn Orchestra! But aside from personal connections, this book stands as a definitive oral history of an era. The people interviewed are true insiders, some of them legends in their own right among Catskill lore. And while the book provides some deep sociological perspective concerning its ethnic background, the authors know how to balance this with charming, amazing and often sidesplitting anecdotes. If you ever spent a weekend at Grossinger's, The Concord, The Nevele or one of the dozens of small bungalow colonies, this book will wash you in warm memories. And if you didn't have the chance, it will make you wish you did.

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).

The Ann Graham Lotz's book on "Just Give Me Jesus" was a conduit that provided the strength and encouragement to a homeless person.... I was just an instrument on God's behalf, that while serving the homeless people at a homeless shelter I encountered a man who had read one of the "tracks" I leave out for people to read, on the powerful message of Jesus Christ and how they can save their lives through his amazing grace. On the back of the track was a short summary about the book "Just Give Me Jesus". This homeless person wanted me to pray with him and after doing so, he pointed to the picture of the book and said while reading the track he got goose bumps and would like to read this book. I told him I would try to get him the book and will bring it the next time I come to serve. I ordered this book off of Amazon and took it to him. He was shocked I remembered and was overjoyed about receiving the book. Several others whom are in the same situation as he, also expressed a desire to read it. Their hunger and thirst for the hope that only Jesus can give was such an inspiration to me and a powerful message.... Praise God for answered prayers! It was such a blessing to me to be able to give this man this book.

Jen

I have gotten the book but have read only a couple of chapters. The book was in very good condition when I received it and I am thankful I was able to get it at a good price.

Thanks, Amazon!!

Donald (Shirley) Schlegel

I read this quite a while ago; It was my first book by this author. I never forgot her, either. Then I saw her on T.V. one day, and I noticed that her eyes were on fire by the Holy Spirit, and her adoration of the Lord encompassed every word she spoke. This author is genuine, and her writings have a tender way in which they woo and lull the reader into a deeper walk with Jesus. I simply love everything Anne Graham Lotz writes. Thank you Anne, for making our tumultuous world easier to bear with your sweet words.

Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers

This book is incredible!! It's the first book I have read of Anne Graham Lotz and it will not be the last. I love her writing and relate to her on so many levels! The more I learn about Jesus, the more I agree with Anne - Jesus is all I want and all I need!

I loved this book. It gave me so many other views of how a true Christian should follow after Jesus. It was an eye opener when it came to the world view versus a Christian view of life and the tribulations that comes along with it. I am so blessed to have read this book, and highly recommend it for ALL women of faith that is struggling with their purpose and why God created them. Just Give Me Jesus is all about a woman's purpose and her role in society. Anne Graham Lotz hit it right on the point. I am a changed woman because of this book. Jennifer Rankins

I love this book for how it incites great conversation and it is a welcome addition to my small collection.

This is one of those books that really gets people talking. Conversations range from the story itself, to the historical truths or lack thereof, the religious implications, and now its look.

I really enjoyed reading this book the first time around when I would find myself laughing out loud when I would least expect it, and most recently with this edition where a friend thought I was laughing about something in the Bible itself.

This new edition was a great idea, with only one flaw: It can be difficult to hold open because it is bound tightly. I'm afraid of causing too much wear to the spine of the book, but in retrospect I guess that would only add to its charm of looking like a Bible.

This is one of my favorite books of all time! Yay Christopher Moore!

Anyone who has any interest in Christianity should find this book hilarious! Moore clearly knows his Christian and world history then and now. His treatment of Jesus and the people who worship him is outrageous and irreverent and strangely loving at the same time. I'm an athiest who went to Catholic school (I LOVED it) and while I don't believe a word of it, have a great appreciation for all things Catholic, especially Catholic humor (the movie Dogma Dogma (Special Edition), the play Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You.Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All You and the Actor's Nightmare: Two One-Act Plays) I also appreciate a big dose of skepticism, and this book delivers on all fronts. Moore is such a great writer that this is a PERFECT BOOK! This new Bible edition is sexy and great!

At first, I have to admit I was a bit put off by the look of this gift version of "Lamb" when first saw it at a Barnes and Noble while doing some window shopping. I'm not very religious now, but as someone who basically got ten years' worth of Catholic dogma engrained into my DNA, well...the irreverence in the very look of this book made me worry just a little. I picked this book up and cracked it open to a random page, not expecting to see anything particularly interesting, and was pleasantly surprised when I ended up reading something that made me laugh. I ended up reading a few pages farther, and even though I hadn't read the rest of the book, the stuff I did read was very funny and clever, and I knew I had to have this book. So...I bought it here instead because I wanted to save a few bucks. :P

This book is definitely worth reading. It's irreverent, yes, and there's a bit of coarse language sprinkled throughout the story. And there's one gross (but funny) experience involving Biff, turnips and a toothless old Chinese woman. Despite that, however, I really don't feel this book is disrespectful to Jesus or to Christianity at all. If anything, it pokes gentle fun at what Christians are taught to know about the Bible--you have to know your stuff, as a Christian, if you expect to understand all the references made to it in this book. But I don't feel it makes fun of Christianity itself. So if you want a clever, funny, well-written book to read and you don't mind laughing at least a little at what you've been taught over the years if you're Christian, this book is for you. :)

I have read all of Christopher Moore's books, and this one is right at the top of my list. I wouldn't read this in a public place unless you like people staring at you for laughing out loud. Also, you might, depending on your personal beliefs, want to remember this is a fiction book, not one trying to pass for fact.

just when i think i cannot be surprised -- i am. moore's book is delightful. i plan on buying a few with the "bible" cover as gifts. i just need to get people past their "religion" in order to read it and i am sure they will love it; and it all makes sense.

I read this book in three days. I have not read a book for enjoyment in years. Once I picked it up it was over. The stories make you TRY to relate to your own house. At the risk of sounding gay, It becomes a tear jerker.

I am a firefighter in a department much smaller than the FDNY. We do not run many calls and I was starting to get unmotivated and complacent. After reading this book I remembered the brotherhood of firefighters I am in and gained a new love for my job.

the most moving book I have ever read.It takes the good with the bad. No sugar coating, all honesty.

I should know: I'm a firemen's daughter. In fact, I'm a Rescue 2 firemen's daughter (we're a special breed) and have spent my entire life in the wacky world of Rescue firemen. Although it's really hard to capture the type of insanity and devotion these guys have for their jobs - Tom does a really good job. If someone you love is a fireman: read this book. It'll help you understand them better. Hey, even if you don't know anyone whose a firemen you should read this book. I just have 1 bone to pick with you Mr. Downey: Captain Ruvolo's daughters are not what I would call "pampered" (p.62). He loves them and they love him just as much.

Amazing stories in this book. You get the feel of the life of a member of the famed FDNY RESCUE 2. It is the kind of book that you read one chapter, and say..."Just one more chapter and I will put it down." But you cant put it down. After I finished the book, I said "I wish there could be more stories." Highly recomend this book to anyone interested in the life of those crazy enough to run in where the rest of the world runs out!

I really enjoyed this fictional portrayal of the woman at the well. Her strength came alive, not just her shortcomings. It made you think, about your past, present and your future. And it most important lesson of all was that it is not where you are it is where you are going. My thought process was challenged by Hendricks portrayal of Christ which was as I found out later his intention.

This book is wonderful. The women's guild at my church featured it as a topic of a book discussion last year. We had the pleasure of taking part in a telephone conference with the author Obery Hendricks. He was very gracious. It was a wonderful experience. The reader gets an understanding of how women and minorities were marginalized in society during Biblical times.

This is a touching story of a young womans journey from her joy of life to near-death despair around to a greater joy of life.
It truly celebrates the strength of womanhood. The descriptions were vivid and the personalities so real, I felt I knew all of the characters. Because all women have experienced Maryam's life in some form, this story will touch your heart in an unbelievable way. I loved this book!

In this glorious tale of redemptive love BEFORE we know what it is, Maryam flowers despite the heartships and trials of her life. Hendricks is a master storyteller who gives us the depth of anguish from both the men and women, while not excusing the pain that the men are causing the women in this Novel. Given to me by a Pastor who shares the stories of women in the Bible with his congregation, I read it from front to end without stopping, finding the message that God loves us even when we don't see it. Worth reading, but more, worth its use as a Bible study tool. Wonderful story with a dynamic ending!

This is a gripping, at times lusty, tale based on the life story of the Samaritan Woman. LIVING WATER is not a stereotypically lightweight, biblical novel. It's for readers who are ready for a challenge and willing to look for truths presented in nontraditional forms.

Author Obery Hendricks, a seminary "professor of biblical interpretation," calls this, his first novel, "an African American retelling of the New Testament story of the woman at the well who was married to five successive husbands at a time when women did not have the right to choose either marriage or divorce." Ethnic overtones are evident in some characters' nicknames (Sonny Boy and Big Mama) and patterns of dialogue ("Oh Lordy, we're in trouble now" and "Don't he talk sweet"). But there are deeper parallels: The ravages of slavery and harsh control influence the heart of the story --- the Samaritan men being humiliated and beaten down by the Romans; the women being powerless property of the husbands who have lost respect for themselves and take out their frustration on their women.

The book opens with a short, startling death scene of the Samaritan woman's fifth husband. Then Part 1 is a flashback, from prenuptial childhood up to that pivotal, bloody mess. She --- her name is Maryam, though significantly we aren't told this for 250 pages --- is a spunky, in-your-face kind of kid who sadly learns, from her kindhearted grandmother, Ma Tee, that spunk is not acceptable for girls. "Atop the coarse woolen tunic that is [the girl's] usual attire is now draped a stale, heavy garment of carefulness. Ma Tee has tried her best to craft it to her size, yet it does not fit. Still, she will dutifully struggle to wear it, though its weight will sag her heart to its knees." And this narrative comment comes even before she's married to and beaten down by her first husband and abandoned by numbers two, three, and four.

This is a feminist story, but not drastically so; it is egalitarian more than man bashing. The big cast of characters --- five (or is it six?) husbands, three father figures, a brother-in-law, Messiah Jesus, and more --- include bad men and good; similarly with the Samaritan women. In a supplemental reader's guide, Hendricks explains that the Samaritan woman's journey "to be free of male domination and mistreatment was also my own journey to free myself from the roles of dominator and mistreater."

Theologically conservative readers may rankle at some feminist theology, but, again, this is not as radical as it might be. Hendricks interprets biblical passages (mostly from Proverbs, once from Luke) that personify Wisdom (a feminine Hebrew word) as being descriptive of "the woman-side of God."

For a novel that is replete with social commentary applicable to any age --- including a chapter on an itinerant, fraudulent faith healer --- LIVING WATER is an engaging read. Part 2 --- in which Maryam claims her name, takes up with a man who loves her and treats her well, and becomes a disciple of Jesus --- includes powerful scenes of redemption, even unto the last page, which drew a tear to my eye.

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

This book has been a life changer for me. Another great book is- No Soul Left Behind. Hope you enjoy these book as much as I did.

This is one of those books that, once you pick it up, you can't put it down. It is filled with entertaining and intriguing stories. You read of one person after another whose present life circumstances are connected with the cause of those experiences in various past lives.

Reincarnation is a topic close to my heart. A dream about a past life first brought me to Edgar Cayce. Where else could I find an explanation for the challenges in my present life presented in the dream except in Cayce's understand of how previous incarnations influence our present life?

Gina Cerminara thoroughly researched Cayce's trance readings given for many individuals for many types of life challenges. Cayce gave two types of readings. The first type were mainly to diagnose and suggest cures for diseases. The second type offered solutions and suggestions for dealing with life problems based on astrological impulses and the karmic results of past lives. These were the life readings.

Cerminara not only researched the Cayce life readings, she also grouped the lessons learned from these readings into categories. They are organized under chapter headings such as "Some Types of Physical Karma," "Infidelity and Divorce," and "Personality Dynamics."

I referred to a selection in her chapter on the "Mockery of Karma" in my book, When We Were Gods: Insights on Atlantis, Past Lives, Angelic Beings of Light and Spiritual Awakening, in which hypnotherapy sessions for weight control revealed a previous lifetime in which I had ridiculed my obese husband of an arranged marriage. In Many Mansions, Cerminara refers to a Cayce reading for a young woman afflicted with obesity attributed to a previous lifetime. The young woman had been a beauty and an athlete but she had derided people who were overweight. She was now "meeting herself" by having to suffer with the very characteristic she had scorned in others.

I like that Cerminara categorizes different types of karma as being either retributive, such as the karma of mockery, and continuitive, in which a person becomes accustomed to a certain attitude to life over a series of lifetimes. I too had an experience of continuitive karma because I had had a number of lifetimes in which, because of starvation or a bony body type, I had actually wished to be fatter. This attitude led to my present lifetime in which I gained weight easily but lived in a society in which a fleshy body is not preferred.

Many Mansions is a great book. It is many people's first introduction to Cayce. There's a lot to learn about the subject of reincarnation. For me, probably the best result is compassion for humanity's weaknesses and foibles.

It's a great book. Very highly recommended for anyone interested in Edgar Cayce, reincarnation, or the mystery of life.

By Carol Chapman, award-winning photographer of the ONLY Edgar Cayce calendar Divine in Nature: With Quotes from Edgar Cayce and author of When We Were Gods: Insights on Atlantis, Past Lives, Angelic Beings of Light and Spiritual Awakening.

I admire this man and wish his work would have been known to more people.

A fabulous book, extremely well written. This is one of the few books that has impacted my way of thinking. After reading this I find it easier to accept a lot of depressing things I see in this world.

I liked the book well enough, but I think Cerminara added too much of her own thoughts on the subject of reincarnation, almost reshaping the message Cayce brought to us through his "channeling". I would have liked to have read more of Cayce's words and less of Cerminara's "interpretations" of Cayce's readings.