Christian Oliver Books

I enjoyed the action North put into this story. With his military back ground as suport, the realism and pace of the story was enjoyable. Read it in two evenings.

This was the first book I have read voluntary in years, and what a great book. Really a great way to come back to reading. The book was gripping from the first page and you just need to read one more page...till your done with the book. An eary realism to the book and the time relevance of our time is great and something awesome to relate to. It is like watching the prime news at night.

This is as usual, a great book written by Oliver North. Shipping was fast. Book looks great.

Stories about real-life possibilities and the likely actions agencies around the world take to cause and prevent them. I am very impressed.

I've enjoyed all three books, but this one is the best of the three. There's less incindental religious pretext (which you can only assume is there to push a point), and a lot more suspense. The build up is long, but enjoyable, and the action at the end is addicting. The only bad thing I'd have to say about it is that you're reading what would be unfolding right now, and it isn't. The "good" state of things in the middle east doesn't exist, and reading it in the future might be a sad reminder of the political mudfest of the time.

I love OLLIE NORTH novels every one has me on the edge of my seat.They are exciting,moral,interesting.You feel as if you are reading the news paper.The best thing, I can let my grandchilren read them.Sincerely merle from wv

I found the book to be very interesting. I was nice to read an espionage book without any unsavory language.

No need to expand on the plot of the book, it's a good novel, suspenseful and interesting. I read the book in a day and a half, because I couldn't put it down.

This book was an excellent read. I read it over Christmas break and couldn't put it down. I was finding excuses to hide from the family so I could see what happened next.

Combine Oliver North's deep knowledge of the inner workings and politics of the U.S. Military and foreign affairs with Joe Mussers careful crafting of words and you get a first-rate thrill ride.

Jericho Sanction is a worthy sequel to Mission Compromised. Actually, it improves upon the first effort. I love North's passion, patriotism, and faith, born out, real-time on the secret battlefields of the Middle East.

I loved Jericho sanction and could hardly put it down. I learned a lot about international affairs, pre-9/11, pre-Iraq War.

This is a one-night read that will leave you in a cold sweat.

The Rev. Buzz Thomas is one of those rare birds we don't get to see very often -- a Southern Baptist preacher who embraces a modern understanding of Christianity. If militant fundamentalism -- of any stripe -- makes you shiver, this little book is just what the doctor ordered.

Rev. Thomas begins his narrative with a quote from one of his mentors, a fellow minister who said: "Religion is what you live. The rest is little more than pious platitudes." From this simple beginning, we embark on a fun, factual and fascinating trip through the hottest religious issues of the day, including:

-- Evolution vs. creationism
-- Science and faith
-- God's purpose for our lives
-- Biblical "inerrancy"
-- Miracles and their historical context
-- The role of women in the church
-- Homosexuality
-- Death and heaven
-- The end of times

Each major point is backed up with citations not only from the Bible but also from Christian history, archaeology, linguistics and the author's extensive knowledge of how they all fit together. Thomas demonstrates in the clearest terms possible that one can be a fully functioning, fully engaged Christian without descending into fundamentalist hypocrisy or intellectual prevarication.

Thomas main message is simple: God is love, so let's live our lives accordingly. To be a good Christian, you don't have to hate gays or Charles Darwin. You don't have to read the Bible like a science textbook or some ethereal document transcribed by angels. You don't have to treat women like second-class citizens. And you certainly don't have to be a "purist" (modern day Pharisee) who selectively adheres to some parts of the Bible when its convenient to advance a particular political agenda.

Many years ago Thomas' favorite poet -- Carl Sandburg -- was asked to name the dirtiest word in the English language. Sandburg said: the word "EXCLUSIVE."

That's the clever segue into Thomas' bottom line: When we seek to exclude our fellow human beings from the love of God by building walls of hatred and doctrinal exclusion, we fail as Christians. When we claim to speak for God, we end up speaking only for ourselves. Kyrie eleison.

Every fire-breathing, self-righteous, Bible-thumping evangelical on the planet should buy, read and commit this book to memory. (Normal, well-grounded folks would do well to read it, too) Thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful, informative book. Highly recommend it.

This book is a "must read" for those church-goers who think that no one believes like they do. Amazingly written by a Baptist minister!

This is an excellent book. It is easy to read and understand. This is a good book for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of how the bible was created, and how some of the current beliefs were started.

I think the book provides some excellent food for thought and would have rated it five stars, even though I disagree with about 60 percent of what the author says; however, since the title is a blatant lie, I cannot rate it that high. I traveled the United States with my father as a teenager. He was an evangelist and we visited at least 250 churches. All 250 of these church pastors would have disagreed with about the same percentage of the book that I did. In fact, if these pastors preached (and they do) the 40 percent that I agreed with, there jobs would in no way be jeopardized. The title is simply false for the majority of Baptist, Independent, Charismatic and Pentecostal churches.

As for the arguments in the book, they are weak at best. The author clearly did not intend to prove his case (at least I hope he didn't), but rather to preach a message to those who would already agree with him and possibly pull a few non-thinkers over to his side. Now, let me be clear: I'm not saying people who agree with Buzz are non-thinkers all; however, anyone who is persuaded to agree with Buzz based on the contents of this book is certainly a non-thinker.

The author not only fails to mention very strong counter arguments to his position and rebuttals to those arguments, but he also fails to give any real evidence for his positions with just a few exceptions (such as end-time prophecy where he does provide a bit of proof). For example, he blanketly states that the "best evidence" of science proves that homosexuals and lesbians are born that way. This is debatable at best and still in the state of philosophy as opposed to science at worst. I don't pick this as an example for any reason other than the clear example it presents of the extreme type statements the author makes that cannot be supported with arguments nearly as strong as those that can support counter arguments to his points.

In the end, I know that my pastor does not want to tell me these 10 things. I have, in fact, had telephone conversations with 7 different pastors in the last 24 hours to discover their thoughts on these issues and they certainly don't want to tell their people these things. Among the denominations represented by these pastors are Methodists, Baptists, Assembly of God, Vineyard, Nazarene, and Church of God. In fact, 3 of the pastors informed me that they had preached apologetic style messages related to point 1-How it all began, point 3-What is the Bible and point 9-Death and Beyond. They had argued against exactly what Buzz proposes and did so because their research led them to a different conclusion. Interestingly, they had not heard of this book.

Apparently, this author was conned into using a cotroversial title for a book that is false when compared to its title (in that very few pastors want to tell their people these things or even agree with them). Too bad.

"Now," cried I, holding up my children, "now let the flames burn on, and all my possessions perish. Here they are, I have saved my treasure. Here, my dearest, here are our treasures, and we shall yet be happy."

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a wonderful quick read about a man (family) over coming adversities in life, yet continuing to hold on to and cherish what is important in life. Dr. Primrose never becomes jaded after all that is thrown at him. Just when you think he can take no more, more is piled onto him. In the end, of course, all is well. While I wouldn't call the book exciting itself, there are exciting elements...kidnappings, death, cheating, and more. I enjoyed it so much because Dr. Primrose is truly a stand up guy and one we can all learn lessons from.

Told with a great deal of tongue-in-cheek humor and wit, The Vicar of Wakefield, published in 1766, features the delightfully innocent Dr. Primrose, a cleric who believes that kindness and virtue will always be rewarded. Surrounded by his wife and six children, Dr. Primrose lives a comfortable life, but he becomes the victim of theft when his broker runs off with all his investments, leaving him penniless, just as his son George is about to be married. When George's marriage is canceled due to his lack of prospects, the family moves to the country, where Dr. Primrose becomes vicar of a rural church.

One disaster follows another, involving Dr. Primrose and his family. The poor but kind Mr. Burchell, who saved daughter Sophia from drowning and befriended the family, later shocks Dr. Primrose by slandering the daughters and ruining their chances to become companions to two women in London. The sale of the family's only horses to a trickster leaves them virtually penniless. His older daughter Olivia is abducted and "ruined." The house catches fire, and their landlord demands his rent, knowing that the family has nothing. No matter how outrageous the calamities (and those mentioned above are only a sample), Dr. Primrose insists on seeing the bright side, even when there is no bright side. Virtue and goodness, he is convinced, will always be rewarded.

Owing as much to eighteenth century satiric comedy as to the developing novel, the story of Dr. Primrose and his family satirizes the sentimentality of early novels, such as Pamela, while it makes use of sentimental devices to further its plot. Poking gentle fun at Dr. Primrose for his innocence, Goldsmith never mocks or belittles him. Coincidence, mistaken identities, the humiliation of all the villains, innumerable surprises, and the restoration of Dr. Primrose's fortunes lead to the "deserved" happiness of Dr. Primrose and his family in the conclusion. Virtue is indeed rewarded, and evil is indeed punished. A gentle novel filled with charm, The Vicar of Wakefield feels like a "lady's novel," one which lacks the bawdy excess of Fielding and the unique humor of Sterne, while never taking itself too seriously. n Mary Whipple

She Stoops to Conquer and Other Comedies (Oxford World's Classics)
Oliver Goldsmith; a biography. By Washington Irving.
The poetical works of Oliver Goldsmith. With a life, by Thomas Babington Macaulay.

Regarded by some as a sentimental novel, Oliver Goldsmith's "The Vicar of Wakefield" (1766) describes the fortunes and misfortunes of the first-person narrator, Dr. Primrose, along with his wife and six children. The narrative is chiefly concerned with a description of Primrose's increasing adversity and the final restoration and elevation of his condition, in a story-line reminiscent of the Biblical book of Job. First the Primrose family loses their fortune, their home is engulfed by a fire, and eventually Primrose himself finds himself in prison, one daughter reportedly dead, another abducted, and a son jailed. But all is in the end restored as the narrative returns to the idyllic life of the Primrose home and its inhabitants as described at the end of the first chapter: "In short, a family likeness prevailed through all, and properly speaking, they had but one character, that of being all equally generous, credulous, simple, and inoffensive." The circle is completed with the closing words of the final chapter: "As soon as dinner was over, according to my old custom, I requested that the table might be taken away, to have the pleasure of seeing all my family assembled once more by a cheerful fireside. My two little ones sat upon each knee, the rest of the company by their partners. I had nothing now on this side of the grave to wish for, all my cares were over, my pleasure was unspeakable. It now only remained that my gratitude in good fortune should exceed my former submission in adversity." Although Primrose is a vicar, his congregational and pastoral charge rarely comes into the picture, and it is more the events in this family circle that are the focus of his story.

In the face of more than abundant adversity, Primrose remains the eternal optimist, a sweet and naïve vicar who portrays himself unaffected by the worldliness and faults he sees in the lives of those around him. Nowhere is his naivete more evident than when he falls prey to the same deceptive character he has previously chastized his son for falling victim to. Yet Primrose remains blind to his own flawed character with its intellectual and spiritual pride. For example, when his half-dead son makes his entrance in the closing stages, Primrose affirms his own freedom from vanity, although the statement in which he makes this bold assertion suggests the opposite: "He now therefore entered, handsomely dressed in his regimentals; and without vanity (for I am above it), he appeared as handsome a fellow as ever wore a military dress."

While one must at times roll one's eyes at his excessive parade of virtue, the reader cannot help feel a strong measure of sympathy for his overly sweet character and good intentions. When his house burns down, rather than mourn the loss of his worldly possessions, he rejoices in the safety of his children: "'Now,' cried I, holding up my children, 'now let the flames burn on, and all my possessions perish. Here they are, I have saved my, treasure. Here, my dearest, here are our treasures, and we shall yet be happy.'" When misfortune results in his incarceration, he sees prison as an opportunity to convert the ungodly: "I therefore promised to repeat my lecture next day, and actually conceived some hopes of making a reformation here; for it had ever been my opinion, that no man was past the hour of amendment, every heart lying open to the shafts of reproof, if the archer could but take a proper aim." Even his most malicious oppressors are reason for optimism: "... as my oppressor has been once my parishioner, I hope one day to present him up an unpolluted soul at the eternal tribunal." And upon discovering that Jenkinson's account about the death of his daughter is false, he chooses to be overjoyed at her return rather than angered by the deception: "'How could you,' cried I, turning to Mr Jenkinson, 'how could you add to my miseries by the story of her death! But it matters not, my pleasure at finding her again, is more than a recompence for the pain.' "

While Primrose's strength of spiritual character, moral fortitude and steadfastness in the face of crisis is exaggerated to the point of humor and wild improbability, it is nonetheless admirable in what it suggests about the human spirit. He sleeps untroubled while in prison and having suffered the most grave misfortune and being deprived of all that is dear to him: "After my usual meditations, and having praised my heavenly corrector, I laid myself down and slept with the utmost tranquility till morning." And rather than grieve over his misfortune after his house has been engulfed with flames, he sees it as a positive benefit, for it humbles his wife's pride and makes her more receptive to the return of his daughter from prostitution: "I proceeded to prepare them for the reception of our lost one, and tho' we had nothing but wretchedness now to impart, I was willing to procure her a welcome to what we had. This task would have been more difficult but for our recent calamity, which had humbled my wife's pride, and blunted it by more poignant afflictions." And when too much laughter and merriness displeases Primrose in preparation for the solemn ceremony of marriage, he makes it the occasion for spiritual correction: "I told them of the grave, becoming and sublime deportment they should assume upon this Mystical occasion, and read them two homilies and a thesis of my own composing, in order to prepare them." And even some of the other characters share this virtuous approach, for rather than commiserate with Wilmot upon the loss of his fortune to deception, the senior squire remarks: "your present disappointment does not entirely displease me. Your immoderate passion for wealth is now justly punished."

Like Job, Primrose suffers at the hand of increasing disasters, but unlike his Biblical counterpart, he doesn't go to the ash-heap to mourn or struggle with his condition or grief. He remains constant in hope and optimism, sees in the greatest disasters opportunities for spiritual correction and growth, and always retains the prospect of improving his fortunes, if not in this life then in the hereafter. Despite his overly optimistic character, this naïve and simple man who wants to serve God and his family presents a somewhat charming figure. We are curious what will be the outcome of his life, and our sense of expectation is heightened by the twists and turns of the plot, which for an 18th century work is reasonably fast paced and quite accessible for modern readers. While improbable, Primrose's journey from fortune to misfortune and back again might prove morally instructive not just to its protagonist, but to us all. - GODLY GADFLY

And lo' my children, the lord said unto thee that... wait a moment... this is the modern age why am I talking like a medieval preacher? Maybe that's because the profoundly stupefying effect that The Viccar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith had on me.
The story starts off in a monotone text voice and goes on like that for the entire one hundred ninety nine pages, give or take a few pages depending on version. The story follows a preacher and his family as they fall from grace into poverty. A merchant steals all the money that Viccar Primrose has invested, leaving them poor and forcing them to move out from their home in Wakefield. The book continues and follows the family's trials and tribulations.
This book was extraordinarily hard to read, I would not recommend it to anyone that is not a college level English student, and even then only at your own risk. No words are in quotes, the fourth wall is broken constantly, and the main character just preaches what the author thinks about everything. It is probably one of the hardest books I have ever read, and I am a junior English major in college.
The characters are amazingly flat, the plot has some redeeming qualities though. The plot shows how the people of the time lived, had fun, and loved; not to mention how mothers regarded their children. The ending though was so... contrived that it ruined whatever interest the main story had.
All in all, this story was a waste of time. If you want to learn how things worked in that age, there are plenty of stories that are easier to read, much more accurate, and have less author interruption then this book. Its negatives greatly outweigh its positives, so unless you have to read it, stay away.

Oh well, sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. Reading the classics can be boring as this classic illustrates. Goldsmith should have kept to poetry and left the novel alone else he would not have produced this mess in the form of a philosophical romance, a loosely constructed story held together by ideas. Rasselas (Johnson) and Candide (Voltaire) are much better and worth a look. Meanwhile why bother with a story wherein the hero moves episodically from security through trials to the discovery that happiness and what truths we may grasp lie at home and in the human breast. The ideas are quaint and silly. The writing stylized and artificial. The characters impossible. The plot preposterous. You have better things to do with your time - like sleep.

As the authors wrote candidly from their own experiences, sharing insights many would not dare touch upon, I felt a connection from the get-go. It is an easy read, like sitting down and having coffee with a good friend who is chocked full of truth and reality about the rich and challenging aspects of the deepest of friendships. Half way through, I bought a copy for my daughter, and she felt the same!

I absolutely LOVED this book!! Erin Smalley and Carrie Oliver have done an amazing job explaining the different kinds of friendships that women have and how we handle each friendship. I appreciate the fact that they both have shared some very personal stories about both healthy and failed friendships in their lives. I enjoyed this book so much that I have ordered a few more to give to my closest girlfriends. If you have ever been hurt or struggled through a broken friendship, you have got to read this book! It will help you view your friendships differently and possibly bring some healing. It did for me, anyway. It will also make you value and treasure your closest friends all the more. You won't regret purchasing this book. :)

I was very excited to see the title of this book as an adult I think we all struggle with friendships from time to time. The concept of the book could have been great, however most of the time I felt like the author's were preaching about God. Every other sentence is about God and quotes from the bible. I am a spiritual person but I bought this book to learn about the value of a friendships not how I can incorporate God more into my life. Waste of money!

I found this book extrememly helpful as I walk through my "grown up" friendships. This book offers not only concrete ways of being a better friend, but also how to move on from those friendships that are damaging. I appreciated the real stories from both women on their journeys through healthy and unhealthy friendships. I felt like they really said what we as Christian women think, but don't always have the guts to say or do. It really challenged me to look at friendship in a more mature manner. This book would make a great gift for those women close to to you.

Fabulous, informative, and a great book to enrich your friendships.
Caught my attention immediately - Erin and Carrie have great insights in this book on how to grow up you friendships with your girl friends.
Loved it - take it on vacation this summer and share it with your friends for Mother's day!

"keeping your Enemies closer" drew you into its characters one by one. you actually became part of the story. As a woman of faith,I could identify with Charlotte's character all so well.This novel was an easy read for me. Sharon's fictional characters reminds us that we all have drama in our lives at some point in time;through it all, without faith, love, and surrendering it all to God,you will have no peace. I loved the way she eloquently orchestrated each character to tell the story of how even in the midst of lies, deceit, disruption, and pain, a strong root of family that serves God, can keep it together. When I began reading,I was so intrigue by the suspense of what each chapter would take me next to the point of wanting to not stop until I read it completely. Of course I cannot wait until the sequel comes out. I applaud Ms.Oliver for her talent which God has anointed her with to share with others...

Wow!!! This debut novel by Sharon Oliver is as mouth-watering as the tasty dishes whipped up by character "grandma" Mattie Mae. There were several things that I really appreciated about the book.
For one thing, as a Christian, I can't remember the last time I had such a guilt-free pleasurable read. Ms. Oliver is so talented that she conveys the gamut of emotions from anger, despair, joy, and longing, without resorting to the use of profanity. The author explores every emotion of her characters. They are Christians, being perfected, but not perfect. Ms. Oliver presents them as they are, as we all are really, an incredible mixture of faults and faith.
Another aspect of this novel that really resonated with me was the fact that it's so easy to care about the characters and what will become of them because we all "know" them. Ms. Oliver's characters are immediately recognizable as people we have met, will meet, or will become ourselves. You can easily imagine sitting around the table talking with them over a cup of coffee, feeling comfortable and welcome.
Ms. Oliver is also gifted in the areas of scene and details. Her description of Turtle Bay Island is so vivid that you can see it as you're reading. So much so, that I was shocked to learn that it is not a real town.
As for that "chutch" (as the older southern characters call it), Ms. Oliver does a wonderful job of showing it's not just a building in which to take a quick nap on Sundays, but how members reaching out to and embracing the community is what really draws people to God's love.
Now to the "dirt" (just kidding). Without so much as a smidgen of x-rated naughtiness, Ms. Oliver has created a stunning leading man. Jeff....Lives in a mansion, drives a hummer for which he can well afford the gasoline, is CEO of a real estate development company, a true gentleman, loves his family, generous and wait....the best part....is a praying man and Ordained Minister to boot!!!! Hold on to your choir robes girls, talk about an answer to a single woman's prayers..(smile)
Best friends Charlotte and Timmi are the kinds of friends you want in your corner. And twins Terry and Tina, along with Rev. Holiday, are definitely the type of enemies you'd better keep closer till you can discern what's really going on. In Sista, Ms. Oliver has created a loveable "mouth of the south" character who loves you enough to tell you like it is.
There is a crazy cast of characters from Mattie who missed and left a dirty dishrag in her greens to chicken-stealing Otis Moss. The snappy dialogue will have you laughing out loud. But it's not just the laughs that make this book so engaging. There are some head-scratching plot twists that will leave you shocked and amazed.
All in all, Ms. Oliver has produced a wonderful novel that is just the beginning. Most time you finish a book, it was good and you move on. But like author E. Lynn Harris, Ms. Oliver has a written a book that so involves you with the characters that you can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Hence....I am soooooo anxious.

Book Review by "The Light of the Lowcountry Magazine,", Bamberg, SC

Sharon Oliver's book "Keep Your Enemies Closer" , although labeled as Christian Fiction, is wonderfully believable as it weaves you into the story of "Charlotte," a Christian woman visiting her grandmother "down south". With Sharon's Oliver's brilliant writing style, you will find yourself easily captivated by the endearing characters lives, with all of their colorful and complicated "quirks." Ms. Oliver weaves a storyline so suspenseful that you will actually catch yourself holding your breath, waiting for the turning of the next page. You will also find yourself laughing out loud at the delightful character of "Ms. Sista!"

The main character, "Charlotte" gives us all a shining example of faith in action. Charlotte handles each complication that comes her way, by seeking God first, and so her own faith shines as a beacon to her friends, as well as family.

"The Light of the Lowcountry Magazine" has picked Sharon Oliver's book, "Keep Your Enemies Closer" as No. 1 on our list of Recommended Christian Books. We encourage each of our readers to order this wonderful book. You will be very blessed by doing so.

Marty Clayton Banfield
Publisher
"The Light of the Lowcountry Magazine"
Bamberg, SC
[...]

email: [....]

This book was okay. I loved the characters. The characters in the book will remind you of somone that you know in your personal life. It also had a good witnessing tool in the story. However, I didn't care for the way the author ended the story I thought it could have been done a little different.

In Keep Your Enemies Closer, Charlotte spends a summer in Turtle Island, South Carolina with her grandparents, Edmund and Mattie Mae Morley. Charlotte's twin cousins, Tina and Terry, also come down for some "summer fun." They are known for competing against each other and always getting into trouble. Since she was little, Charlotte had a gift of discernment. Somehow, she knew that Typhoon Tina and Tropical Storm Terry would rear their ugly heads this summer. Charlotte senses that something is not right with her grandparents' pastor, Reverend Holiday. He has been the pastor for about three months. Half of the congregation wants him gone and the other half adores him. Life is very simple in Turtle Island and one of Charlotte's favorite places to be. Little did she know, this summer will be full of suspense, death, deceit, and change.

In Keep Your Enemies Closer, Oliver embraces the Christian lifestyle and brings together colorful characters. However, the book was a slow read, possessed uneven pacing, and there was no real climax. Although, I enjoyed certain aspects of the book, it still left me waiting for something to happen. Keep Your Enemies Closer was Oliver's debut novel and while it was not a perfect read, I look forward to giving her another chance with her next Christian fiction novel.


Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub
Sista Talk Book Club

This is an atheist take on the origins of Christianity. He goes into the influence that other religions, in particular Zoroastrianism, had on Christian theology. The stuff pointing out the influence and ideas that those that propagated Christianity stole was good but the highlight for me was the little zingers that Oliver sneaks in here and there about the idiocy of Christians and also the differences in the worldviews of Aryans and Jews and the corrosive effects that Jewish ideas have had on Aryan society.

Oliver was an interesting guy. He helped Robert Welch found the John Birch Society but eventually left because of the JBS policy of not allowing members to mention the "J" word. He also later claimed that Welch admitted to him that the JBS was covertly funded by Rockefeller money. Oliver wrote a lot of good stuff over the years. His later writings and speeches took on a very anti-Christian slant which showed he was a true free thinker when you consider that he evolved out of a very right wing, anti-communist ideology and the time period he came out of.

This is good but overall I wasn't blown away by it the way I thought I would be so I'd probably only recomend it to people who are interested in Oliver or someone who is researching Christianity from a practical viewpoint.

Dr. Oliver was the antithesis of the previous reviewer. He was a scholar of great depth who could explain his position without name calling. In the academic world, it is the convention that no matter how bizarre others may consider a given position, if it can be logically defended by a consistent and coherent argument, then it deserves to be heard. Dr. Oliver was the epitome of the academic who possessed this ability, his defence of his political opinions being masterly, intelligent, compelling and concise. This is the case whether one agrees or disagrees. Racist ? Some might take this view, but he was a man with a deeply felt conviction which he wished to express, and in any nation which aspires to free speech and democracy that right must be honoured. If you disagree with what is said, make an intelligent rebuttal which is the honourable position to take. As to the content of "The Origins of Christianity", few would deny that Dr. Oliver has grasped the crux of the problem that Christianity has for Western man. It is an alien faith which, if looked at dispassionately, is nothing more than a sect of Judaism. It began in the Middle East, spread to Europe and transformed itself into the overarchingly dominant faith it is today. This process Dr. Oliver has researched meticulously and analysed in his book. For those who are able to read religiously oriented works without feeling threatened by the truth, this book is something which should not be missed, as it will increase understanding of the origins and development of Christianity into the faith we see today. If, however, you are of the school which does not care to get involved in new ideas or intelligent debate, leave this book alone, as it will not be good for your blood pressure. Fundamentalist Christians beware.

RACIST. This word summarizes the book. It's thoroughly anti-semitic. The author believes in the superiority of the "Aryan Race", and tries promote it throughout the book. He even refers to black people as savages.

Anti-semitic?

From what my Jewish friends tell me, could it be that racial-driven 'semitism,' which labels all non-Jews as 'goys' and on a level with cattle, according to the Torah, and 'zionism,' which puts its own interests above U.S. interests in the Middle East and everywhere, cause a perfectly natural counter-reacction, as a defense of other tribes (non-Jew), that is popularly called 'anti-semitism'?

Professor Oliver and even the non-profit group called EURO may be on to something.

Read it, and think for yourself. That's called freedom of speech.

As a mental health professional, I have used this book for years with groups of children in mental health settings. The children love the book and the characters and the coping skills taught through the stories really stick. Many times after one story, the kids often ask for another. One group was disappointed there were only 5 stories. They often ask for paper and markers to draw the characters. I love this series- wish there were more

What an enchnanting selection of stories! This beautifully-illustrated book helps kids 4-9 appreciate the emotions adults sometimes term as "bad" or negative--fear, worry, anger, and sadness.

The charming forest characters work through their emotions in healthy ways, demonstrating positive skills for coping with difficult feelings. An excellent choice for parents and teachers who want to help their younger children develop healthy expressions for emotions.

The authors had a good idea with this topic, but the stories are not engaging. The characters are not well-developed and the story is basically missing. Children this age (4-7) really need a story that is going to hold their attention. Also, there are many words per page, and the pictures are not detailed enough to capture children's interest while the adult reads through all the words. I think there must be other books which do a better job of discussing fears and worries without being so laborious and uninteresting.

For software companies, the main challenge in application development resides in maximizing reuse as a means to optimize return on investment. Component technology and product line engineering are two promising techniques that intend to facilitate more cost-effective software development.

This book, written by ten authors from the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering, presents a systematic approach for component-based product line development: the KobrA method [KobrA stands for Komponentenbasierte Anwendungsentwicklung, "component-based application development" in German].

Most current methodologies specify a set of tools and techniques suitable for efficient application development, but they do not provide an algorithmic procedure for materializing the artifacts needed to build enterprise software systems. As Derek Coleman says: "If you want to know how to approach developing component-based architectures in a systematic manner, I cannot think of a better place to start."

The first part of the book motivates the use of components, design patterns, and product line engineering in order to improve the software development process. The proposed methodology has its roots in object-oriented methods (such as OMT, Fusion, and ROOM), component-oriented methods (Catalysis, Select Perspective, and UML Components), and product line-oriented methods (FODA, FAST, and PuLSE, in particular). Method frameworks, such as RUP and OPEN, are also discussed since KobrA can be applied within them. Cleanroom, an older methodology, is at the heart of the KobrA approach (KobrA takes it tree-based structure from the box-structured Cleanroom method).

KobrA claims to be simple, systematic, precise, prescriptive, scalable, incremental, practical, and compatible with as many technologies as possible. In KobrA, components are the logical building blocks of software systems, in contrast to the physical view of component technologies such as CORBA, EJB, and .NET. That is the reason why the authors prefer to use the word Komponent instead of Component.

KobrA follows a top-down design perspective which is organized attending to three orthogonal dimensions: abstraction, genericity, and composition. These dimensions give rise to three kinds of transformations (embodiment, instantiation, and decomposition, respectively), which are treated in detail in subsequent parts of the book, separating artifacts (what) from processes (how).

The first dimension analyzed in this book is the composition dimension, which deals with component modeling. In KobrA, this involves the generation of a containment tree of components, decomposing a software system using a top-down strategy that is complemented by a bottom-up component reuse policy.

The transformation associated to the abstraction dimension, i.e. embodiment, consists of producing concrete executable artifacts from the abstract models generated during component modeling. It should be noted that this embodiment transformation is split into separate refinement and translation steps. The authors propose the use of UML implementation profiles and transformation patterns in order to achieve an efficient and verifiable implementation strategy. Unfortunately, the book is not completely self-contained with respect to this topic and the interested reader will have to look for detailed information elsewhere.

Finally, the genericity dimension and its related instantiation transformation, is at the basis of product line engineering. Two kinds of artifacts are discussed: framework and applications. Framework engineering identifies commonalities and variabilities in product lines through the use of the <> stereotype in UML diagrams and decision models. Application engineering performs the framework instantiation process using decision resolution models. Framework engineering builds the infrastructure that application engineering customizes.

The evolution of product lines and applications is included in a fourth dimension: the supporting activities common to any software development effort. This is the topic of the last part of the book, which comprises configuration management and quality assurance issues.

Two appendices, which are available on-line, summarize the KobrA methodology and include a comprehensive overview of KobrA concepts and process model. This metamodel could be helpful for those who want to establish a prescriptive and systematic heavy-weight process in their development organizations, taking into account some of the modern software development best practices KobrA is based on.

The KobrA approach described in this book, which is based on the incremental development of component-based product lines, could be suitable for software companies that prefer to follow a methodology "by-the-book", although it may be unduly prescriptive for agile development. It might also be inadequate for projects where contractual requirements cannot be baselined and adaptive project management is a must, since KobrA incremental nature is tied to the component-based structure of the system rather than to its use cases. In any case, KobrA provides a sound component-based software development approach which might find its niche in large projects with well-known requirements (i.e. when the project can be nicely decomposed into components with stable interfaces).

Until I read this book my primary text on the topic was "Component Based Software Engineering" by Heineman and Councill. This book now shares the distinction of being a primary source of information and deservedly so.

Where most books on the subject cover the component-based development life cycle at a high level with an emphasis on the development, deployment and QA aspects, this one is about requirements and design. That is what sets it apart and an important work. It becomes even more important if you are using or trying to adapt the Unified Process to a component-based environment. Obviously if your environment also includes product line development the value of this book increases even more.

The book contains five parts which build upon each other. Part 1 is a thorough, 60-page introduction that compares and contrasts development life cycles, summarizes the approach the book proposes, and the concepts, artifacts and process associated with "KobrA" (a German abbreviation for "Component-based application development".

Part 2 is devoted to component modeling based on the KobrA component model, and covers all aspects in 153 pages. This part ends with an excellent introduction to patterns and UML, which lays the groundwork for the next part. The information in this part drills down into requirements and specifications, which is one of the reasons I cited above that sets this book apart.

In Part 3 (Embodiment) refinement and translation, component reuse and incremental development are covered in detail. Part 4 introduces and covers product line, framework and application engineering. It is here that the KobrA foundation laid in the previous parts begins to become coherent and the viability of the approach becomes apparent.

Part 5 is my favorite because, like Part 2, it gives a view of component-based development that most books gloss over. In particular, the chapters on maintenance and QA are filled with information that reflects the realities of component-based development, and the chapter on quality modeling is among the best treatments of the topic in any book or paper I've recently read. The 60 pages of appendices are also valuable sources of information and knowledge about metamodels, maintenance and process. I found this book to be an invaluable reference and recommend it to anyone who is heavily involved in component-based software engineering in conjunction with product line development.

O'Donovan argues that "evangelical" ethics is ethical living in light of the renewed and renewing creation. The created order--the order of creation, the purpose for which it was established--is vindicated in the cross/resurrection of Christ and is given back to God's people. Although the point is not specifically made, it seems O'Donovan is stressing a teleological ethic (although I wouldn't pin him down on such).

He then proceeds to critique historicist ethics, particularly the Marxist form. Following, he argues that a corollary of ethics is epistemology: the Christian's knowledge is in key and in part a *knowledge in Christ.* While not a primary or exhaustive part of knowledge, *experience* is a factor in knowing. For the Christian knowledge often comes in light of suffering and the way of the Cross (my favorite part of the book).

I found his section on "eschatology" most compelling and most underdeveloped. He seems to posit a realized eschatology. This is good. He anticipates on one hand the coming resurrection but also the the powerful in-breaking of the eschaton into the present order (see thesis of book). Some excerpts:

The resurrection of Christ redeems and transforms the created order (56).

The work of the Holy Spirit defines an age--the age in which all times are immediately present to that time, the time of Christ (103)

Some criticisms:
The book left me with questions concerning "what to do?" Having read it, what should be my response? This is probably the fault of the reader, and thus I need to reread it.

I wasn't quite clear of his criitques of natural law. I was interested in a critique of natural law theories, and he gave some, but I couldn't make sense of them (again, my fault and not OO). On the other hand, however, his critique of the Roman Catholic sexual ethic, based on natural law, was quite good.

O'Donovan articulates a Christian, evangelical ethics that is broad in scope and dialogues with several positions. He seems to chart a path between Barth of the reformed tradition and St. Thomas' natural law position. The outcome, resting on a distinction between the created order and Providence, tries to sustain the absolute freedom of God while maintaining a consistent moral field rooted in creation. His conclusion that the command of God does not vitiate the created and restored natural order is attractive, but will not be persuading to all.