O Books

Others have aptly reviewed this book. Personally, this book has helped me view God as a loving Father in the OT and NT, and it has enhanced my prayer life!!! Must read for any undergraduate, seminary, or Ph.D. student!!!

If you are an Old Testament professor, this book would challenge and transform your students subconscious, faulty assumptions about God in the OT and I would venture to say it would transform their personal relationship with God--it did mine!!!

This is the most important book I read in seminary because it has fundamentally changed my idea of God. Like most Christians, I was raised to picture the God of the Old Testament as a holy, transcendent God, perennially angry and punitive, distant and strict. I was a closet Marcionite in the respect that my image of the God of the Old Testament was discontinuous with the God Jesus calls Father. As Fretheim says
. . . the picture of Jesus presented often stands at odds with the commonly accepted picture of God. Attributes such as love, compassion, and mercy, accompanied by acts of healing, forgiving, and redeeming, tend to become narrowly associated with Jesus, while the less palatable attributes and actions of holiness, wrath, power and justice are ascribed only to God. . . . Jesus is friend and God is enemy . . . the atonement gets twisted so that Jesus is seen as the one who came to save us from God. [Fretheim, 2]
In The Suffering of God Fretheim wants to lift up Old Testament metaphors for God, particularly those that have been neglected, like nonmonarchical images that show a God more in line with the New Testament, a God so involved with humanity that God suffers with and for humanity. In order to do this, Fretheim rehabilitates anthropomorphic metaphors for God that have been discredited by Old Testament scholarship since Philo, in particular by scholarship that wants to focus on God as transcendent, immutable, free, sovereign monarch and therefore essentially "other" than human. In the continuity of anthropomorphic metaphors throughout the Old Testament, Fretheim sees an indirect but continuous portrayal of a God who gets ever closer to humanity until finally this God becomes incarnate in Jesus Christ. "In the incarnation, God has acted anthropomorphically in the most supreme way." [Fretheim, 6] By focusing in The Suffering of God on these neglected anthropomorphic metaphors, Fretheim wants to expand the number and kind of metaphors we use "so that our operative fund of them will be more congruent with the biblical witness and our experience of God in the world." [Fretheim, 9] In addition, Fretheim believes that these neglected metaphors are really canon within the canon and that they can help us interpret the whole of the Bible and bring together our thinking about seemingly polar opposites, like God's sovereignty and God's grace [Fretheim, 11]. Fretheim essentially redefines God's freedom, God's ability to change, how much God knows, and how God exercises power in the world by showing a God in continuous relationship with humanity from the very beginning.
. . . the Old Testament reveals a fundamental continuity between God and world. God is graciously present, in, with, and under all the particulars of the creation, with which God is in a relationship of reciprocity. The immanent and transcendent God of Israel is immersed in the space and time of this world. Such a perspective reveals a divine vulnerability, as God takes on all the risks that authentic relatedness entails. Because of what happens to that relationship with those whom God loves, God suffers. [Fretheim, 78]
Across the chapters of The Suffering of God Fretheim has delineated throughout the Old Testament a gradual intensification of the way God is present in and for the world. God is getting closer and closer, desirous of ever increased intimacy, until finally in Jesus Christ, God becomes one with humanity. As the last sentence in the book states, "God's act in Jesus Christ is the culmination of a longstanding relationship of God with the world that is much more widespread in the Old Testament than is commonly recognized" [Fretheim, 166]. Recognition of this image of a suffering, relational God in the Old Testament is Fretheim's purpose in writing this book. Fretheim characterizes God's choice to be in relationship to the created order as a "relationship of reciprocity" [Fretheim, 35]. What is more, Fretheim sees this God-World reciprocity as the predominant Old Testament perspective!
That is an exciting concept to someone who [in spite of familiarity with good Reformed thinking about a God involved in history] was more accustomed to thinking of the God of the Bette Midler song "From a Distance." The Old Testament God Fretheim documents is a God who has chosen to be involved in human history, in time and space, and is affected and can change because of this involvement. This is a God who listens to humans, who holds back judgment, who makes room for an unknown future based on the response of humans. This is not some great puppet master in the sky sadistically toying with us. This is definitely Jesus' Abba who treats us with integrity and profound love, and therefore a God I can respond to in the same way.
Fretheim has essentially given me back a whole God, a God for everybody no matter what gender or race or status in life. Fretheim's ideas of continuity and "canon within the canon" I find to be a more positive way of approaching the Old Testament than the feminist hermeneutic of suspicion. This approach allows me to accept more of the questionable passages of the Old Testament. Even in the wrathful warrior God, the God of the flood, the destroyer of Sodom and Gomorrah, I can now see the kind of God Jesus could call father and whom I, by adoption, can call father too.

As other reviewers have noted, the idea of God's vulnerability is often overlooked in church and theological conversations - the immutability of God and omnipotence of God would seem to contradict the idea of a God who feels, much less suffers, in the way the human beings can understand. Fretheim's wonderful text, part of the Fortress Press series of Overtures to Biblical Theology, explores images and situations found in the Hebrew scriptures that would indicate and illustrate this aspect of the divine.

Fretheim writes about God's relationship with the world - this includes aspects such as human understanding of God (anthropomorphic metaphors), the reality of God's relationship, God's internal relationship with the world, foreknowledge, and God's suffering. Fretheim expands upon this idea significantly - God is a God who suffers because, with, and for creation.

God's suffering because of creation has to do with the idea of covenant and relationship - much of the narrative of the Hebrew scripture is built upon the covenants God makes with humanity (the implicit covenant from the Garden of Eden, the explicit covenants with Noah and Abraham, etc.). The call of the prophets and the lamentations and sorrowful psalms all speak to the breach of these covenants, particularly the covenant of Abraham, and how this causes God to suffer. Fretheim uses passages such as the text of the prophet Hosea to show that God is not like a military leader or political leader dealing with insubordination or rebellion, but more like a loving parent dealing with a troublesome child. Fretheim states that this takes more of the image of mother than father.

God's suffering with the people has roots in the Exodus story, but carries forward in many situations through the narrative strand. 'God sees the suffering from the inside,' Fretheim states. God is not powerless in this situation, but God is intimately aware of the suffering of the people, and this has great implications for later understanding of God. Fretheim shows that this suffering-with is not reserved just for the Israelites - in Isaiah and Jeremiah, God's weeping and mourning for Moab is significant.

God also suffers for the people - while this takes on dramatic form in Christian contexts, where Jesus takes on the suffering for all people, the idea of God taking on the weight of sin and suffering for the wrong-doing of the people is also present in the Hebrew scriptures, particularly in the suffering servant imagery, but also elsewhere.

The comparison with Rabbi Abraham Heschel's monumental work, 'The Prophets', is very apt; companionship with authors such as Reinhold Niebuhr and William Placher ('Narratives of a Vulnerable God') are also worthwhile explorations. This book will expand the way God is understood in dramatic, and dramatically human, ways.

Many of the other reviews have already covered the strengths of this book, and I would join them in highly recommending it. I was first introduced to Fretheim's work some years ago in a class on Luther's theology of the cross, a theological tradition I think triumphal evangelicalism could benefit from reading. But having recently re-read the book, I was taken aback at how Freitheim's view of God anticipates the Open Theist arguments of Clark Pinnock, Gregory Boyd, and John Sanders by almost a decade. In many ways, Freitheim's book is better suited to presenting an Open Theistic view of things because he does so without the baggage that Open Theism now seems to carry in the evangelical community.

In any case, if your vision of God is one of a detached and cold First Mover, or of an angry Lawgiver and Judge, then I suggest you read this book as well as Kazoh Kitamori's Theology of the Pain of God. It may do you a world of good.

This is a wonderful book that explores how God relates to the world. It focuses on issues and passages that are almost always skipped over by preachers and scholars. So prepare to be shocked. I've the entire OT several times, but I guess I didn't realize what I was reading or read over it too quickly. For examples, he lists several passages where it talks about God crying. Amazing!

A good resource book to understand what a child can take in the event of death in a family. Recommendable

What a great book. so easy to read, so clearly put. Earl Grollman does a fantastic job of telling adults just how to talk to children about the difficult topic of death. I often feel shy about using words that seem harsh, like Dead, or she died. but those are the only words that really work. Check out this book and find out why.
Every parent should have this book in their library.

When my niece passed away from SIDS a little over a year ago, I called a friend who does grief work at the local children's hospital. He recommended this book ~ even took time out of his day to send me a copy. There is no other book, in my opinion for helping kids deal with the death of a loved one. The book is divided into sections to read along with your kid(s), parts for you to read to help you answer questions your kid(s) may have, references, and much more. ~ CV

I did a research paper for college on how children are ignored during the grieving process, particularly when the deceased is their parent. Of all the many books and articles I found during my research, this book became my exclusive favorite. Rabbi Grollman understands how a child's mind works during each stage of development and provides excellent suggestions and advice on how to reach a child at each stage of understanding and awareness. I hadn't considered some of the things he mentioned but found everything to be sound, make sense, and above all, they work as I help my now deceased friend's young children cope with her loss in their lives. This book will also help the adult to understand death better and come to terms with the loss. A win/win for everyone.

As a therapist specializing in grief for 20 years, I have seen many books that help adults to help children with their grief. This is definitely one of the best because it is a simple and effective guide for adults to use during challenging times. It is very hard, as a parent, to focus on a lengthy and very wordy book. Earl Grollman's book is designed to make it easy to find the aspect of the grief process that you are looking for.

Because I also run a pet loss group, I appreciate the sensitivity he brings to this subject. So often, misguided parents or friends try to replace a pet too soon. This author states, "Do not rob your children of the right to grieve, cope with, and overcome their pain." (p. 71)

I also love the list in the back of resources, including groups for various types of loss, and books and movies that may be helpful. Boy would I love to have a lot of those films in my personal library! It's always helpful to have choices as you're moving through the unchartered territory of each unique grief journey.
Marcia Breitenbach, founder of[...]

Wow! This is such a beautiful commentary on Judaism's holiest text. I love the symphony of voices that flow through this book. Not only are comments meaningful and well written but the general oranization of the book is wonderful. I am man who loves Torah and all of the commentaries that it produces. This volume will sit proudly on my bookself next Rashi, Hirsch, Sforno, Ramban, etc. I am recommending this commentary to every Rabbi I know regardless of affiliation. Even if the price is a stretch for you, buy this book because you won't be sorry.

The Torah: A Women's Commentary is a compilation of the most recent Torah scholarship that also includes a woman's perspective. Introductory essays by Carol Meyers, Judith R. Baskin and Ellen Umansky are outstanding in orienting the reader to the world of Torah history and post biblical analysis. Alterative perspectives enrich this multi-dimential effort. This volume produced by the Women of Reform Judaism makes me proud to be a scholar and a Jew.

What I have read so far has proved informative and interesting for my study of the Bible.

the first time in the Torah, Bible, Jewish history : women can think and write all the commentary. Great scholars and rabbies and historians! The best way to improve your jewishness and your feminism

This awesome labor of love combines Torah text, commentary, contemporary reflections, poetry (and more.) Because it focuses on the role of women (or their absence) in Torah, it provides a long needed pathway for women to enter into the biblical world and the teachings of a text that has played so great a part in shaping our views of our relationship with the Divine, and each other. Inside it is beautiful in every sense. It deserved a cover more commensurate with that beauty, but why quibble.

Buy it for every Jewish woman and girl you love. (What an extraordinary Bat Mitzvah present!)

The flip side of the key word is more detailed than I thought. It gives an brief explanation of why the key words are important. I do not like how the book is connected I thought it was flash cards but I think I can get used to it. Great book :D

The Flip O'Matic is an excellent source full of key facts in history. It is perfect for any student taking American history, especially those wishing to take the AP exam. It is neatly laid out, concise(but not too concise),and easy to read.

This book is an A.P. History student's best friend. Not only does it offer an excellent written acount of the history of the United States of America, but it also contains a cute little action cartoon as well! On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being the least helpful and 10 being the most... i'd rate it about a 9.5.

Great book!!! Does an excellent job of covering important and key facts on the AP US History exam. A must have for students who are preparing for and planning to take the exam. Would definitely recommend this book. A+++ quality!!!

A fairly good item overall. Easy to use and covers many major topics, including detailed information about certain events and pays attention to the material for the AP US Histroy exam. Lack of dating system somewhat disappointing, but an excellent review tool for the student. Also handy for random facts to impress your friends.

It's really about the "Bubble Thing". The book by itself is interesting, with lots of pictures, descriptions and history but you really have to get the "Bubble Thing". I'm in the business of (very) fun camps for children and although when I first had the thought of including a program on bubbles there were those who suggested it wouldn't work, wrong (Big Time Wrong). Kids love it. If you have children you won't regret investing in the "Bubble Thing", I don't.

I'm over 50 years old and, while visiting my Mother, I started playing with some bubble making toys she had left out for the kids. Bored, I started making some make-shift bubble wands out of coat hangers to see how big a bubble I could make. It was a lot of fun but, because of the bubble solution, I was limited to bubbles of about a foot in diameter.

I went on line to try and search out some "secret" bubble solution formulas and was eventually directed to "The Bubble Thing" book. The price was right so I bought it. I did not know at the time that it came with a "Bubble Thing". My God!...I was making these HUGE bubbles in my living room, four and five feet across before my wife walked in and stopped me. (She's not my boss or anything. I'm the Boss in my home, PERIOD!...I know this because she said I could be!)

Anyway, everywhere I go with my "Bubble Thing", I'm the undisputed center of attention. Kids and Big Kids, like me, go nuts over this thing! It's amazing and incredibly fun. I've had to order two more books so that I don't go without everytime it's "borrowed" by my neighbors and friends...you know, to show their kids. ;)

This book is the best ten bucks you'll ever spend! Kudo's to it's author and inventor of the "Bubble Thing"! If you were to get paid a buck for every smile or shriek of laughter and delight created by your invention, Bill Gates would have to leave town.

Many thanks,

Jerry

John Cassidy and David Stein did a great job on this book and the "Bubblething" that come with the book. I have a little girl who loves bubbles and this book and toy have been great fun. The truth be known I am having as much fun blowing these HUGE bubbles as she is chasing them down and popping them. I should warn you though all the kids on the block will be stopping by asking you to blow bubbles for them.

This book, the Unbelievable Bubble Book, is about a toy that produces the biggest soap blown, amateur-created, bubbles in the world.

After the instructions on how to use The Bubble Thing, the book covers all aspects of bubbles (history, science) in an entertaining styling accessible to children and young adults. And older adults, too, whoever cares to open it.

I really enjoyed this book, and guffawed at the author's humor. John Cassidy is an amusing writer. He courageously writes humor right alongside scientific fact, and pulls it off. His writing skills have obviously developed past those deserving a bunch of rotten vegetables thrown at him.

The inventor of the Bubble Thing, David Stein, has an interesting and personal story to tell about his invention. You get the impression from reading his story that there was no financial incentive behind the work he put into making his incredible toy. But he knew what he wanted, performance-wise, from the start. He cared about getting the best bubbles he could, but to entertain his baby daughter. Through trial-and-error, that was just what he got.

The book and the toy are all-around great, and I thoroughly recommend them. Try out the Bubble Thing, it's as good as what you fantasize it could be. The bubbles it makes are HUGE.

My husband received this book several years ago as a 50th birthday present. It sat in it's wrapper for a couple of years-what does a grown man need with a Bubble Book? Well he has resurrected it and has had so much fun with it this summer. We took it to our family reunion, on vacation and to a chorus picnic, kids big and small are fascinated and want to try it. Give it a try--you will be hooked.

Book Three of the Heirs of Cahira O'Connor was my favorite of the series. I enjoyed the setting - the Civil War - and the development of Flanna's understanding of the real issues of the war. The aspect of a woman doctor in a time when they were not accepted was very well done. Love, loyalty, faith - it has it all...

I love this book. Even though I'm just 15. I thought is had an amazing plot and a wonderful ending. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because of the beginning. It was incredibly slow and boring. But I'm so glad I decided to keep reading!

This book is moving...I thought that it brought a new eye to the Civil War. Flanna is in Boston, studying to get her medical degree so that she can return to Charleston and help her father in his practice. However, the Civil War breaks out and Flanna is forced to figure out how she will get home. As in the other Cahira O'Connor books, she dresses as a boy and becomes a soldier.

I thought this book was very well written from beginning to end. The death of the professor is Kathleen's impetus to get back to work on the story of the heirs of Cahira O'Connor. What she finds leads her to wonder what HER role in this will be.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, but please read the other 2 books in the series first. This book will make you want to rush out and pick up the 4th.

This book is the 3rd in "The Heirs of Cahira O'Conner" series. Although I haven't read the 4th, so far this one is my favorite. Not that the first 2 are not good, they are terrific, it's just that this one gripped me from the beginning. I read this 400 page novel in just 24 hours!

Flanna O'Conner is finishing up medical school in Boston when the Civil War begins. She longs for her family in Charleston SC and disguises herself as a soldier in her effort to return to the south. Although Flanna's character has depth from the beginning, her travels deepen her character and trust in God. This is a profound story of sacrifice, loyalty, and how the effects of this war dramatically changed so many lives. These people gave up virtually everything (their lives, family, homes, & work) for a cause they believed in.

Flanna's experience and what is shared in this book really brings significance to the heroism of those who served in the Civil War. The author does an excellent job of researching our country's culture and circumstances during the mid-1800s. At the end she writes two pages on her references. I had no idea that there were 400 women who actually did pose as men in order to serve in the Civil War.

What I love about historical fiction is that it gives me a heart for the people who lived during the time, and a desire to learn more. What a great way to learn about history!!

Novelist Angela Elwell Hunt has done it again! Her exciting historical women's fiction series shines with complex stories of gifted women seeking to make a place for themselves in a world, dominated by narrow ideas of women as little more than man pleasers.

Velvet Shadow is the third in a Cahira O Connor series. Flanna O'Connor a Southern bell who defied convention to study medicine in Boston Mass on the eve of the Civil War. Her hopes to take her degree back to the south are shattered by the outbreak of war, cut off from her family she tries to enlist in the Army as a Doctor and prejudice turns her back.

This theme runs throughtout the story as the wealthy Bostonian abolitionists bemoan the fate of slaves, while mistreating their Irish servants. Her keen eye for hypocrisy in society is entertaining. I had not known that some freed blacks also had slaves. Her devotion to research illuminates the Zeitgeist (ruling ideas) of the times. When an aspiring politican pursues her to marry him and forsake medicine, Flanna, like her ancestor and many actual women in the Civil War impersonates a man to join the Union Army. She hopes to make her way home to the south and desert but her destiny as a Doctor calls her to steal supplies to treat the wounded, in spite of threat of exposure, court martial or worse. As a surgeon she becomes the Velvet Shadow who saves men who would have perished without her. Hunt has captured the misery and mismanagement of troops, supplies etc in this heartbreaking war that redefined the history of our country. Again, we are led through a series of heart breaks and changes the character must conquer to survive and thrive.

This book will spark your appetite to read the earlier books in the series that began with The Silver Sword, set in 1400's Anika of Prague must pretend to be a knight in order to escape unwanted attention of a nobleman's son. She plays in integral part in story of Jan Hus, burned at the stake for his religious beliefs.

In the second book, the Golden Cross opens in 1642 when Aidan O'Connor penniless after the death of her father at sea ekes out a living in the slums of Colonial Batavia while her spirit longs for artistic expression. A master cartographer recognizes her talent and senses God leading him to train her. Aidan enters the aristocratic world as apprenticing artist and is coached in fine manners of high born women. She longs to learn and become a wealthy artist to lift her friends from the web of wharf poverty and degradation. Aidan casts aside the brocade to masquerade as a cabin boy aboard the exploration vessel of Captain Tasman to pursue her dream. The voyage is fraught with danger, slaughter and brings Aidan to cling to God. Aidan's voyage leads to unexpected danger, treasure and you'll need to read the book to find out if she settles or succeeds.

As readers we learn in pursuing the talents God has placed within us, we can experience Kairos time creative expansion of time, versus everyday chronos time. This writer broadens my view of the past and gives inspiration to my future.

I am thoroughly enjoying this whole series by the Thoene's. It keeps me interested and I can't put the book down until I have finished it - usually over a period of days. I enjoy historical novels especially with a Christian background. The suspense of what the Nazi's will do next, the close escape of the heroes and heroines keep me glued to the pages. The authors catchy theme of their books is "Truth Through Fiction" - it's very true.

I just finished reading "Warsaw Requiem", the last book in the "Zion Covenant" series. It was wonderful, as are all the books in that series. The characters in the book will always be a part of my life.

I totally got absorbed in this book....trying to imagine what it would have been like living in the Jewish sector of Warsaw, waking up to bombs dropping and fighter planes zeroing in on children going to school!

This is one book in a series of 9, called the Zion Covenant. I am on Book #8 and my husband is a book behind me. We cannot quit reading them! A wonderful series on Jews, many Christians, trying to get away from Hitler in WW2. Your faith in the power of prayer is totally reinforced in these books. You see God's hand throughout....

Well, I'm a 16 years old girl from Norway. The reson why I read this book is because in my class we had to read a book and afterwords we had to write a review of it. So, I went down to the school library, there I took the first book I could find... But I have to say that this book was great! It shows how the jews lived and felt it during the second world war, and I have learnd so much from it! I highly recomand this book for all ages, but it requires that you know something about 2. wordwar...

This book - the whole series, in fact, are so filled with power it is amazing. It convicted me, inspired me, and moved me. I read a lot of books, and I mean a lot, but very few are in the calibre this book is in. The characters are very real and the way in which they relate to one another makes you feel as though you are a part of the action. I became so involved that at the end of the book I felt as though I had lost many friends. The writing style itself flows smoothly, never feeling stilted or cheap. The story-line was exciting, and the historical detail is so wound up in the story it becomes difficult to separate the two. All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone, and I am sure that I will read it again and again and again.

I was pleasantly surprised - while beeing shocked and horrified - that this book was NOT just a "coffee table book" of pictures from the US Holocaust Museum and Memorial - not that one would want a coffee-table book on that topic anyway. That it was published by/with the museum may give the impression it's "just" a bunch of pictures - a printed tour through the museum. That is definitely not the case.

The book tells more through the well-written text than it does through the pictures. The book would be excellent with no pictures at all - it's that well-written & edited. The pictures alone would give an "eh, so what?" reaction. Together, they are a riveting and frightening story of this terrible period in our history.

I thought I knew something about the Holocaust - and I suppose I did know as much as some people know - possibly more than most. This book opened my eyes even further.

Though I know antisemitism is unfortunately, still alive and well today - even in the United States - I had no idea how powerful it was in the years leading to World War II. This played a terrible role in the systematic destruction of the Jewish people - not only by the Nazis - but also through the cold-hearted or apathetic at best response by the rest of the world. Though most of us can show clean hands when it comes to the hands-on role of actual killing, an awful lot of us still tolerate - or even worse, practice the very kind of antisemitism that fueled the premeditated killing of so many.

This book could easily be an entire course on the Holocaust - from the earliest beginnings and history of anti-jewish action in the world, through the actual event, and up until today.

If I could afford it, I'd buy copies of this book for a couple of holocaust rejectors. If the evidence it presents does not cause them to renounce their denial of this event, then perhaps a coupl of well-placed whacks to the head will do. Either way, this book is weighty enough to accomplish the task.

Kidding aside, this is a great book - on a terrible subject.

Michael Berenbaum is a renowned scholar and author of several books and professional articles about the Holocaust that took place during the Second World War. In 1993 Berenbaum, together with The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., published the first edition of The World Must Know, and twelve years later an updated second edition came out.

Filled to the brim with pictures taken before, during, and after the Holocaust, this book is most definitely a very frightening piece of evidence; detailing the nasty ability of the human race of demonstrating a total lack of sympathy towards dissidents, and in many different ways this book offers both a relentless and necessary insight into the unfathomable mass murder, during which millions of Jews perished; young, old, men, women, and children. But not only Jews; gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals, political prisoners, and many more were systematically killed as well.

So in other words, an important book about one of the darkest chapters in the history of the human race.

But it's also a book that, unfortunately, turned out to be a huge disappointment.

More than anything else, The World Must Know is one-sided beyond belief. Of course the main focus of a book such as this one should be, and is, the unbelievable suffering of the victims together with the origins and consequences of Nazi politics. But, no matter how despicable these crimes were, one must always keep in mind that the ones doing these crimes were other people, not machines nor wild animals, more often than not simple ordinary people who before the war had been your everyday German citizen.

However, throughout the book these perpetrators are depicted as otherworldly monsters, and even though no one can blame the victims and the rest of the world for thinking this way, it's still important to remember that to the perpetrators themselves, what they did was completely justified, of utmost importance, and not necessarily evil at all.

So why does this bother me? Well, no crime or injustice, no matter how extreme or massive, can be fully understood - and thus prevented from ever happening again - as long as only one side of the grisly story is told, and since The World Must Know focuses the way it does, the reader never gets a complete, or at least more extensive, understanding of what it was that actually happened. One of the reasons why this book was even written in the first place was, after all, to ensure that a Holocaust II never takes place. It's a noble quest indeed, but how is a crime ever to be prevented from happening again unless you have sufficient information about the ones who actually were willing to carry out the crime in question?

With this in mind, it's equally surprising why only a few lines of text, at the very end of the book, mention those who choose to deny or downplay the Holocaust. For a book as crucially important as The World Must Know, neglects like the ones just mentioned are, well, unacceptable.

And to make matters worse, the book doesn't have any kind of map and/or direction useful to anyone who'd want to visit the few concentration camps from the Second World War that still exist today. And that sucks, because I honestly believe that one must actually visit the sites if one wants to get some sort of genuine understanding of what happened there. Not only that, the book is quite heavy and cumbersome and from time to time written in an annoyingly repetitive way.

So in the end, what could have been an incredible - and mentally demanding - experience turns out to be mediocre and full of shortcomings.

With the ranks of survivors getting smaller for each year that passes, this book, shows us that we must never forget the atrocities that were commited towards humanity (Jews, Gypsies, Russian POW's and many others). The pictures that portray the holocaust are difficult to watch and the pictures of the shoes is a horrific reminder that these were once worn by people that hopes,dreams and aspirations for the future. The picture of the gypsy children is horrendous and it shows that the world must never ever forget the horrific acts that happened.

Why the need for a second edition of a classic Jewish studies survey of images from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC? Because with each decade that passes it becomes more important to preserve the images and realities of World War II events for future generations - and because THE WORLD MUST KNOW is an outstandingly well organized gathering of hard-hitting images from the German Holocaust. The Museum is a living memorial to the events and those who died - and THE WORLD MUST KNOW: THE HISTORY OF THE HOLOCAUST AS TOLD IN THE U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM is an outstanding memorial propelling its images beyond museum walls.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

This book, published by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, is the museum in book form. Filled with hundreds of photos and illustrations, some of them quite graphic, along with short but descriptive and informative written pieces on everything one would need to know about the holocaust from beginning to end, the book does a quality job of introducing the subject to the reader.

This is not a scholarly text that those looking for historical detail would find useful. It is rather, a "coffee table" type book, and a very moving overview of the holocaust.

Riveting, moving, emotional, and gripping are all apt descriptives of the book. Well recommended for anyone needing the necessary information and knowledge of one of the ugliest times in history. At the quoted price, a great deal!

Naomi is a psychotherapist, lecturer, and adult bible class teacher.

A unique study of the old testament teachings to help with our personal spiritual journey. How we should live our lives according to God. How we can shape the way we live and teach or children through the Patriarchs. The book starts with the creation; the order. Then moves to the flood and the descendants; from Abraham to Joseph. Beautifully written. Will never be dated.

Wish you well
Scott

this is my second reading of wresting w/angels. i recommend it to those people who are curious about the biblical text and have never actually read it themselves. or to those who are familiar and well-versed w/the biblical text but are searching for new and fresh insights to be learned and discovered.

Naomi Rosenblatt leads us on an in-depth and eye opening journey through the Book of Genesis. I found her easy to read style similar to M. Scott Peck, in that she provides concrete examples of how the Book of Genesis relates to modern day life. This should be mandatory reading for all those contemplating a career in the helping professions - including law enforcement recruits. Her coverage of the concept of Hineni, Here am I, is especially poignant for parents and teachers. Regardless of our particular faiths this book can help us all understand the triumph of the human spirit. Ms. Rosenblatt's book is truly a work of art.

I was brought up as a Roman Catholic with biblical teachings emphasizing the New Testament and very little of the Old Testament. Wrestling w/Angels re-introduced me to the wise ancient stories of Genesis, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Not only is this book a great read, it is full of insights illuminating conflicts and challenges we continue to face in contemporary life. Whether or not you believe in the historical accuracy of the Bible, the people who are chronicled in its stories are important archetypes whose influence on our collective thought patterns is vast. Wrestling w/Angels is a key guide to understanding the meaning of those archetypes because they show us how we, as individuals and as a world, have developed our "identity, sexuality and personal relationships."

Wrestling With Angels: What the First Family of Genesis Teaches Us About Our Spiritual Identity, Sexuality, and Personal Relationships (Naomi Rosenblatt and Joshua Horwitz, Delacorte, 1995) is a book with a specific agenda: understanding Genesis as a series of lessons about the nature of human character. Her voice (it's largely hers; Horwitz is not much in direct evidence) is that of the therapist. The themes are as old as guilt and sibling rivalry and sexual temptation, and as "modern" as midlife crisis, blended families and surrogate parentage. We are comfortable with these psychological concepts, and Rosenblatt is generally successful at using these as tools to understand these stories --- and ourselves.
The subtitle's "Family" is a misnomer; it should be "Families". It covers people from Adam to Noah to Joseph, and they aren't considered one family in the normal sense. The chapter on the Tower of Babel doesn't involve any particular people.
There are 35 self-contained chapters. The titles set the theme: "Rachel and Leah: Competing for Love, Passion and Status", "The Brothers Reappear: Wrestling with Unresolved pain", "Abraham goes forth: Following a Personal Vision". She starts with a broad introduction to the theme, then sets the stage for the particular story. The story is presented via selected excerpts from Genesis. Interspersed are her comments and "imagined narrative details". Of these she says, "Our Embellishments to the original text of these stories are historically correct" whatever that means. It's unclear whether she's relying on traditional midrash or her own. Then she provides her summary, analysis and conclusions, sometimes including anecdotes from her own life.
The book displays both substantial weaknesses and strengths. On the minus side, the allegories and symbols are laid on rather thickly. For example, on page 267, there is entitled "The Well as the Portal of the Soul." But on 268, we are instead told that it is the stone (which covered the well) that is "the portal of her [Rachel's] ... soul." Further, we are told that "The well represents Rachel's virgin sexuality" and in the next sentence "the well is symbolic of Jacob's unconscious". In her discussion of the Covenant Between the Pieces, admittedly a very murky event, I found her symbolic explanation of the items unconvincing, and note that she omits any explanation of the smoking oven. Some things really are a stretch. One chapter is "Lot Departs the Clan: Letting Go of Children", but she presents no reasoning that Abram ever considered his nephew as a son. Putting the modern motherhood/career dilemma into Rachel/Leah story was unconvincing. None of the treatments are in any great depth, and the nuances of the Bible's language in telling these stories is entirely lost.
On the other hand, her handling of conflicts within the (extended) family is especially deft, and she turns to this, effectively, again and again. She had a particularly good feel for the character of Jacob, and her chapter on his wrestling with the "Personal Angels and Demons" was especially well done. She has an intriguing comparison between Noah and Oscar Schindler; I wish it had been more developed.
Her writing is clear and the almost conversational style easily draws the reader in, without wasting words. While many can learn from this, the book is especially good for beginners. It does not presuppose any knowledge of either the Bible or how it is approached, and makes no demands of a particular kind of faith. And it provides fresh evidence of why these stories are so enduring.

Everything Conant writes is so relatable as you follow his journey through all the seasons in his year. Conant truly has a gift for words and storytelling and this is definitely one of the best books I've ever read!! :-)

Just like his first book, Cameron draws you into his story with tales of love and life that are familiar to all. In his first book, he tells how he got married and divorced all before he turned 27. Now, a year later, he has turned over a new leaf, scored a fantastic job, fallen in love, and is leaving the predictable Midwest for the promise of a dream in Nashville. I laughed out loud as he described small town living, but his love affair with the girl of his dreams and an interesting roundtable of friends keeps you turning the pages!

I am nearing the end of "The Year I Got Everything I wanted" as I type this review. I have to admit that I stumbled across Conant's earlier book, "With or Without You" by accident but it was a wonderful read.

I went through an un-wanted divorce a year and a half ago and can relate to much of what Cameron writes about. The sometimes overwhelming feelings of rejection, loss, confusion, heartache, loneliness, sadness, depression, etc. are not new to me. I often wonder if I will fully get past these things. My divorce experience was interesting because the one place I expected my failing marriage to get better only allowed it to become worse-----a small town Southern Baptist Church. The church became an outlet for gossip, deception and non-biblical teaching. It also allowed my ex-wife to find companionship with other women who were going through marital problems and divorces. Instead of encouraging my wife to stay in the marriage these women only gave advice which eventually allowed her to walk away from the marriage. Misery loves company apparently rears its ugly head once again in the local church.

I'm thankful for my church friends that cared enough about me and God to tell me to never give up on the marriage. My experience has allowed me to see the blatant contradictions found in church life today in the area of marriage and divorce as well as many, many other social, political, spiritual, and theological beliefs and practices. This has inspired me to write my own book dealing with the overall theme of contradicitons the church does not want to deal with.

I'm grateful for men like Cameron Conant. In a world of fiction we need more realistic writers who are not afraid to expose themselves and write about life as it is. What makes Conant's books worthwhile is the fact that you can identify with him. We all experience life with pain and loss. As I type this I have returned home from my residence in Tennessee to my birthplace in Pensacola, FL to visit my dad who just underwent emergency surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor. Again life has thrown me a curve ball and I'm trying to figure out how I want to swing at this one!

I encourage you to read both "With or Without You" and "The Year I Got Everything I Wanted". These books are for anyone who has struggled through a broken marriage, divorce, and the pursuit of happiness that makes most of us continually seek true love and acceptance. I often ask myself, "Why do I bother trying to find anyone to love me?" After asking the question I realize-----we do believe in fairy tales. It is that fairy tale belief that there is someone out there for all of us that allows us to pick up look past the pain and try it all over again.

For now it is just me and God. Perhaps we will fair better when we realize that on most days that is quite enough. But, I am gently reminded of the phrase, "God looked down and saw that it was not good for man to be alone" I say amen to that!

If there's one happy side-effect of being someone who has spent time in the darkest places of the spirit, it's that you can detect beauty in the smallest of things, and in the unlikeliest of places. Cameron Conant has the uncanny ability to do that - he can capture a moment in time, savor it, and hold it up to the light for us in a way that shows us beauty where we might not have known it would be. I think that's my favorite aspect of Conant's writing style. It makes me wonder how much more there is to my own life that I am not seeing, and it reminds me to be mindful of the simple, seemingly mundane things in daily life that are in fact not mundane at all.

In this book, Conant bares his soul to the reader and shares thoughts and experiences that many of us would hesitate to tell our friends, let alone the world at large. It is this openness that gives us a glimpse of some very deep but universal struggles that we all share, but often fail to confront directly - the grasping at something outside ourselves to find satisfaction, and ultimately the failure to find it anywhere but in the Source within ourselves. And although this book is classified as Christian literature, I believe that it would be an enjoyable and easy read for anyone who is the least bit spiritually-minded, regardless of religion. It speaks truths that reach beyond those boundaries.

Cameron Conant writes with great skill, depth and reflection. The Year I Got Everything I Wanted follows a year full of promises (new city/job/girlfriend) on the other side of his painful divorce. Conant's honesty and transparency stand out amidst endless stacks of "how-to" and "step-by-step" books, while the narrative challenges our perspectives on God, success, love and the church. All who struggle with pain, expectations, disappointment and faith will enjoy, finding themselves in Conant's story--and the greater narrative of life.