T Books

Well researched and written book. Understandable by layman as well as biblical scholar. Most enlightening and informative.

Thank you James L. Kugel. I have longed for guidance in understanding the complexities of the Old Testament. Very informative and readable.
Highly recommended.

This is an especially good resource book for those who are not really familiar with the Bible. I particularly liked the set-up, with the major characters' stories so easy to find and understand. Knowing the Bible is so important in understanding everything in our Western Culture, particularly in literature, that I can't imagine this won't become a critical part of many people's libraries. That is especially true at this time when so many young people are backing away from religion. Now all we need is similar works on the New Testament and Shakespeare's works!

This is the smartest, best-written, most even-handed book of Biblical Scholarship I have ever read. I don't blindly worship Harvard, but I can see why Kugel had the most popular course there for many years. It is not only brilliant about the bible and its interpretations, it is a model for how an educated person should approach any subject where the truth claims are competing. Kugel is an Orthodox Jewish believer. I am a Buddhist atheist. But his noble search for truth first and foremost is to be admired by all humans of whatever relation to God.

How to Read the Bible, by James L. Kugel, is an amazing book. It is eminently readable and tells the general reader as much as he or she would want to know about Biblical sources, alternative interpretations through history, and factual conclusions of Biblical scholars up to the present. Kugel is a Jewish scholar, Starr professor of Hebrew at Harvard from 1982 to 2003, now living in Jerusalem. He goes more or less book by book through the Hebrew Bible (essentially the Christian Old Testament) and tells us about what modern scholarship has determined as to the Bible's origins, its probably authors, its subsequent editors, and its interpreters. He follows the development of the Jewish conception of JHWH as originally one, rather fierce, god among many, locatable in a temple, to being the God of all, approachable everywhere.
The scholarly conclusion is that what we now have as Genesis, Exodus, etc. are composites of the writings and rewritings of authors and editors over time. Most of the stories in the Bible, including those concerning the patriarchs, were written long after the time described and cannot be considered to represent actual history.

Kugel's real interest is in this question: given all this, how can the Bible continue to be read as scripture? He emphasizes the importance of the Hebrew scholars who finally edited and put together what we now have as the Bible, in the last few hundred years BCE. They read and interpreted the Bible primarily as a means of determining how God wants us to serve Him. The Biblical stories were read by them primarily as moral lessons, rather than as history. Furthermore, the understanding of Rabbinic Judaism is that the literal words of the Bible are not sacrosanct. There is an "Oral Torah" (preserved as a great quantity of interpretive writings) that are as important to the believer as the Torah itself. This understanding enables believers to move beyond instructions of Torah that are no longer practically relevant (e.g. detailed instructions concerning temple sacrifice) and avoid making Biblical language an idol rather than seeking the message within.

What fascinates and energizes me, as a liberal Protestant Christian, is how the solution of Rabbinic Judaism in reading its Bible may provide helpful insights in dealing with the similar problems of modern Christians. For Jews the theological problem was that God did not intervene to free the Jews from the control of a succession of foreign empires, from the Assyrians to the Romans. For the first Christians the theological problem was, first, that Jesus did not turn out to be a new King David. Then, after He was crucified and raised, they were assured by Paul that He would return within then current lifetimes and set things right. That did not happen and has not happened. For the next fifteen hundred years, the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church might be analogized to the Oral Torah. But under Protestantism, Scripture became the only authority available. Martin Luther discovered Paul's principal of "justification by faith", leading to a renewed effort to define what is an acceptable faith in very precise terms. Religious wars and fractures within Protestantism followed. Kugel shows, at least with respect to the Old Testament, that fundamentalists do not read the Bible (at least the Old Testament) the way that the people who actually put it together as Scripture intended.

Now, we all live in a post-Holocaust world. God has shown no inclination to override the consequences of human foolishness. For me, the import of How to Read the Bible is that we had best concentrate, whether based on the Pentateuch, the prophets, or on the teachings of Jesus, on how God wants us to live.

This award winning book presents practical, workable, life changing, concepts. These principles apply to parents who are teaching their children. They are relevant for the young person in high school or college. And for the adult on the threshold of a new stage of life: starting a family, a career move, or in retirement years. Whatever your age you will find the book applicable to your situation.

Parrish reveals secrets to success in the area of relationships, goal setting, and values. He then goes on to offer suggestions for a time line of adult life. He gives specific applications for marriage, family, others, finances, and healthy living. It is a book about making the best choices when wrestling with life's most important decisions.

Parrish quotes from the classic motivational authors. Among his favorites are Og Mandino, Napoleon Hill, Miguel Ruiz, Eckert Tolle, and James Allen. I especially enjoyed his "Lesson in a Nutshell" and "A Few Profound Thoughts" sections.

This is a book that you will want to read, reread, and internalize, and then take intelligent action steps into a successful future.

This book is easy to read, has great principals to guide anyone looking to learn some of life's most important lessons from a truly wonderful, successful and generous man. As a person who loves to read and learn from self help and self improvement books, I rate this one a 10.

I am not sure what planet the previous reviewer is from, (Planet Jealousy perhaps?) my guess is he has a personal issue. I suggest he give the book to someone who will appreciate it, which shouldn't be hard. My feeling is that it makes a great gift for someone getting started in life, so that they can take advantage of its lessons.

Read the rest of the reviews to see what everyone else feels about this book.

Here is another excellent life guide book you may enjoy!

Life's Greatest Lesson: 20 Things That Matter by Hal Urban
www.halurban.com

This is an Owner's Manual for a Happy and Successful Life!!!,

Its timeless message on character education should be read by every child, parent and teacher. It is sure to become a classic.

I have given away at least five copies to family and friends!

It was awarded Best Inspirational Book of the Year 2000 by Writer's Digest Magazine.

I have donated a few select books that have been added to my local Public Library. This is by far the best inspirational and motivational book I have read so far. It contains the wisdom of the ages and essential life truths.

A few of the books I have donated are: HOW TO SUCCEED IN LIFE: Ideas and Principles They Don't Teach in School by Ned Grossman, MASTER SUCCESS: Create a Life of Purpose, Passion, Peace and Prosperity by Bill FitzPatrick, a local author from Natick, MA, FREEDOM FROM FEAR: Learn How to Live Life to the Fullest by Mark Matteson, The story of one man's discovery of simple truths that lead to wealth, joy and peace of mind, and I DARE YOU By William H. Danforth.

I highly recommend Life's Greatest Lessons, as it teaches the wisdom of the ages. This book is so wonderful, that after I finished it, I went back and re-read it again. Periodically, I will reread certain chapters again. I am very select in what I choose to donate to the library. I am donating it to the library so it can benefit the most people possible. This book on character education is a topic not normally taught in schools. It is an "owner's manual for a happy and successful life." It describes in a simple easy to understand manner, common-sense life skills that can be applied immediately to enhance and enrich anyone's life.

Are you people serious? I'm reading the other reviews for this book in disbelief! This book is the equivalent of taking a dictionary of quotations, typing it up with some working in between. Seriously, it would be much faster to read the dictionary.

Don't waste your time.

Ever since Mr. Parrish and his staff "adopted" a 5th grade class at Hester elementary school, my daughter Pearl, one of those 5th graders, has had a white board with a list of goals in her room. As I'd walk in and out of her room, year after year, the list would morph--checkmarks would appear, items would disappear, and interesting new items would appear. This pattern was steadfast as the tide. I was so proud when Mr. Parrish asked Pearl to speak at one of his company's morning meetings. She talked about the "Better World" theory--an idea Mr. Parrish and his staff had shared with Pearl's class. Part of the concept is that one should not blame others for their predicaments, and they should take responsibility for improving their own lives. Just this one concept alone can be life-transforming. But in "If I'd Known Then What I Know Now," Mr. Parrish shares MANY tips that can help you better your life NOW. One irony of this book may be this: it is divided into lessons for different age groups (for example, 7 to 15, 16 to 25, 26 to 40 and so on). It could be hard to get your 17 year old to sit down and read the section of the book that pertains to them, because at that age, they might think they do not need any advice. Yet if they would be open to reading and internalizing the advice, their whole future could be happier!!! I thank Mr. Parrish for sharing goal setting tips with Pearl that have enabled her to chart her life's course. Pearl is only 19, and she's already been to Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, New York, Riverside, Omaha, and had her own TV show! I used to love reading positive-thinking books when I was young, and this book reminded me of those days when all seemed possible. I realized after reading his book that all is STILL possible. Since reading Mr. Parrish's book, I got reacquainted with long lost friends, I've improved at keeping commitments (I want my word to be my "bond"), and I'm reviving some goals I set aside a long time ago. Thanks, Mr. Parrish! -- Debbie Wible (11/17/3)

This is an excellent novel with a hugely important and significant historical validity. It's a bit slow to get going, but once into the story, you can't put the book down, and it has an amazing ending. I highly recommend it.

One of those rare occasions when my both my partner and I read this book one after the other - she is a PD James fan, Charles Dickens fan - whereas I tend to read those books less dependent on plot and more on philosophical meanderings, or rich in atmosphere, or completely character driven - Fateless or Old Masters say. In The Memory of the Forest has all the elements and so it appeals equally to us both. One of the great moral questions in the novel of course concerns the old dictum "evil thrives when good men do nothing". As such things as racism will always be latent wherever humans gather, it depends on the rule of law and the vigilance of citizens, to maintain civil life. And the life of a Polish village is at the centre of the story - if the village can survive, maybe humanity will too, but at what cost?
A very well written novel.

I love this book. Period. Fully realized characters, gripping plotline, historically significant and cathartic. Definitely a keeper for life.

The story of a young man coming of age, discovering love and lies, ambition and murder in a town that cannot admit its past or face its present. Set in Poland as communism collapses, the rupture of old foundations reveal the townspeople to be what they would forget.While one of the book's larger themes is what the Nazis, and by complicity, the Polish people, did to the Jewish population during the Second World War, it is not "a Holocaust book." Rather it is an absorbing murder and love story; a murder that begins the novel and whose investigation provides its framework, a love story that will leave the reader in tears, reminded what the world should be but is not. It is a rare book, one that impels its reader onward with a gripping narrative but repeatedly brings the reader to a halt to reflect on the beauty and lyricism of its prose.

Those who like to read books about Poland (there must be a few of us out there) will find that Charles Powers' "In the Memory of the Forest" is a pleasant surprise. This book is a real dark horse. It doesn't appear to be widely known (I found it for sale on the used-book cart at my local library) and it's the only novel that Powers ever wrote. But the lesser known works are sometimes the most satisfying reads.

"In the Memory of the Forest" is a murder-mystery set in the small farming village of Jadowia, somewhere to the northeast of Warsaw. The book is skillfully written, with an interesting plot, a few twists here and there, and an ending that's both disturbing and reassuring. Poland's role in the Holocaust is the dark and provocative background for the novel. What I liked most about the book is that Powers (a former journalist who lived in Warsaw for five years) captures the personality of Poland better than other authors who have attempted this same task, e.g., James Michener, Lily Brett. My only complaint is that many of the characters are too clearly cast as "good guys" or "bad guys," without a chance for them to surprise you with the other sides of their personalities. A Polish murder-mystery is a narrow genre, which most people wouldn't be inclined to read. But if you're daring enough to tackle those tricky Polish pronunciations, you'll probably be glad that you read this book.

I have enjoyed Vicki's style of speaking to her reader, as if she was right in the room with you. She coaches you and gets into your head and heart. She allows you to see the CEO in yourself. This book is not just for the nurses that have joined her company, but for every woman go wants to bring her own light to this dark needy world and make a difference. Even if it is one woman at a time.

Eavesdrop on any group of women lunching at the next table and you are likely to witness laughter, tears, support, commiseration and collaboration in action. Entrepreneur Vickie Milazzo identifies how women can best utilize these natural feminine capabilities to achieve life and career success and fulfillment. Milazzo dedicates an insightful, thorough chapter to each of the "10 Feminine Forces" she has identified. She uses personal stories and the experiences of successful women to coach you to new, unexplored heights. Sometimes her attempt to motivate through her personal saga crosses the line from inspiring to self-congratulatory. Yet, if you set aside this editorial flaw, you have a well-scripted formula for success. We recommend this book to all women who share a spark, a dream and the desire for a richer, fuller life.

I really like the book. It provides motivational examples and good analysis. It's about how women can be successfully in their lives. Make a wonderful gift to any woman you know.

Filled with thought-provoking gems of wisdom and the real-life examples to back them up, I found this book to be a wonderful source of motivation as I think about "what comes next" in my career.

I've never read a self-help type book before, and probably wouldn't have picked this book out on my own. I recieved a copy of this book through a marketing campaign, and figured that I'd give it a shot.

I usually fly through novels and non-fiction books, so I've had to take a completely diferrent approach to reading this book. I've been plowing through it, one chapter every week or so, and it's been having some impact on how I think about my professional life.

The book is filled with the author's anecdotes as well as stories of other women, and guides you throuh exercises that break down your goals and actions. I'm finding it helpful, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a book to help them understand how to reach their goals.

As a former Outward Bound instructor who loves adventure, I found this book riveting. As a business coach I know that learning occurs when we are on the edge, in a little less familiar place. This story supplements the narratives about Shackleton because Perkins takes the story and applies it to leadership. Hence, it becomes contemporary. I liked some of his points so much that I referenced him in my book. I strongly encourage you to read this book. Doug Gray, PCC, author of [ASIN:0975884158 Passionate Action: 5 Steps to Extraordinary Success in Life and Work]]sionate Action.

Perkins uses Shackleton's Antarctic expedition of the early 1900's to identify ten leadership strategies. These stategies have proven useful for me in both military and civilian business settings. Perkins uses real-life examples form the Shackleton expedition in Part One to identify the strategies. In Part Two he uses recent (from when the book was written) business example to demonstrate how these strategies can be applied. This is an easy read and the stories of the Shackleton expedition helped keep my focus on the people that we lead while keeping the ultimate goal in sight. The title of this book applies whether you are leading at the edge of the world, the edge of survival, or at the edge of competition.
"Fortitudine Vincimus"!

This book is a "must read" for everyone aspiring to become a leader. The different life and death situations that Shackleton and his men faced, and how they overcame the obstacles in their way, is an example for all to follow.

The book is written masterfully, allowing the reader to reflect on how different leadership techniques were applied and how to apply the techniques to the situations particular to the reader.

Outstanding Work!

A fantastic text based on an epic journey. The history of Shackleton's ill-fated expedition is a sharp contrast to the modern view which epitomizes personal liberty as the highest virtue.

This book features vignettes from an expedition faced with nearly insurmountable odds that highlight the difficult choices faced by Shackleton and his men. In the face of adversity, they managed to endure, though not without cost. Perhaps the most moving part of the narrative is knowing that, after he and a few of his men made it (barely) to the safety of a remote whaling outpost, he insisted on mounting numerous rescue attempts for his other stranded crew-mates until they were successfully extracted.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether or not you are involved in business management. As a father, I found many of the examples and stories inspirational, and I have shared them with my children to teach them the virtues of perseverence and the responsibilities of leadership.

The author, Dennis N. T. Perkins, shows extraordinary insight in leadership with 10 clearly stated principles. Based in strong part on Shackelton's expedition, these 10 principles are not only clearly stated, but truly make a difference. It is obvious that Perkins understands leadership. The book is easy to read, but takes plenty of mental energy. This book should be read by any manager, and should be considered a classic.

One of the few books to ever make me cry while reading. Even a movie doesn't often take me there. This book made me want to kiss my children, read my Bible and give my husband a great warm hug. Life was so deeply felt even in the midst of such terror.

I need another one....get to writing Mrs. Ray.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've read several other similar ones, but this one managed to achieve a balance that many of the others did not. It was also very suspenseful. The plot of this novel is built around the little known midwives of the Exodus story. Ray's protagonist, Puah, is an apprentice midwife to Shifrah. Puah demonstrates great strength and integrity. I felt it was very spiritual and uplifting without being corny.

Puah is the heroine of the novel. She is a young midwife living in Pharoah's world. When she is given orders by Pharaoh to kill all male Hebrew babies, Puah finds the courage within her to defy him.
I found this book to be more of a love story, than a historical fiction novel, but that didn't bother me the least bit. Puah and her husband Hattush's love story was so moving. Certain parts were real tear-jerkers. I really appreciated the quotes from the Bible at the beginning of each chapter.
I was so sad to see the book come to an end.

This book provides a very vivid picture of how the events may have unfolded around the time of Moses's birth. It is nice to be able to understand the characters and how they may have acted and felt. At its best, this tale is both informative and moving.

However, this is not a piece of great literature. The story is, sometimes painfully, contrived and trite. The repetition of phrases like "fine linen" and awkwardly used flashbacks quickly become grating.

The story of Puah is compelling, but the telling of it is not. Despite its weakness, this is still a good read for those who want new insight into a very familiar story.

A wonderfully written and fascinating tale of the midwives Puah and Shiphrah. Brenda Ray brought the characters to life unfolding a story filled with romance, inspiration and gripping drama. A very enjoyable book; I was a bit sad for it to end. I found The Midwife's Song to be a more compelling read than The Red Tent.

Here is a book to kick start parents to stop spoiling and teaching kids that possessions represent love, personal significance or status.
The current generation of high school kids throws a tantrum when they aren't GIVEN 9 yes, given) a new car on their 16th birthday- and pay their own gas. well, theres only a parent to blame- stop buying and send them to work- thye truly feel entitled because they were raised on unearned praise and rewards- their language of love is things and they think their idientiy comes from having the right stiff. I see this in church kids and non-church kids. Wake up nation and reads this book

It's very nice to meet you here. I'm Jackie Ho from
Hong Kong. I'm just reading the book `Money Doesn't Grown On Trees'. It's really very useful. Actually I'm going to design and launch a class of `Money Education' to kids and teens. I want to tell them what the money is and teach them how to manage money, and also, make them more interests in math, logic, reading
comprehension, etc. This book gives me lots of ideas.
Thank you so much, Ms. Kay.

Ellie Kay has done it again. In this book Ellie lays everything out on the table when it comes to teaching your child about finances. Funny thing though, I learned a thing or two myself! Every aspect is broken down from age zero to eighteen and beyond!
I immediately applied what I had learned on my children and saw a dramatic change within one week. You must get this book along with her other books, "Shop, Save and Share" and "A Womans Guide to Family Finance". Your family will thank you later!

Ellie is a gold mine of information regarding saving money and spending what we have wisely. I have 3 children and was pulling my hair out trying to teach them that the way to earning money is not by holding your hand out to daddy. I have read this book more times than I can count and have found and implemented many ideas. My 13 year old daughter is not very fond of her actually having to do something now but she can't hold her hand out forever. We have to remember that what we teach them now greatly effects their future. To have anything when you become an adult, you have to work and be on a budget. With the ideas Ellie has in her books, you can teach your children now. I don't want to see my children have a rough time when they are older because I gave them whatever they wanted when they were younger. I have noticed since my 7 year old has been working for that "I gotta have it toy", he takes care of them better and doesn't forget where he puts it.

Buying Ellie's books has been the best investment I could make to our budget. Thank's Ellie!

I was looking for a book to help guide me and my husband to teach my child about allowance and money management. I had no idea that this is a religious based book. I am a Christian, but I don't believe that God is the answer to money questions. Furthermore, there is not any straight forward, helpful information. This book is mostly just vague ideas. I would not recommend this book

Excellent, quick read...wide range of quotes both poetry and proes...pics are breathtaking...these two young men have infected me with their philosophy of life.

What a treasure to find that On The Loose is still around. This book is full of wonder and joy on every page. On The Loose found me in 1967 when I was an undergraduate student. It is still with me. I was wandering and On The Loose spoke to me of the wilderness as something full of awe. This is truly a beautiful book. It continues to remind me over and over that, as I can see I will keep looking and as long as I can walk, I will keep moving. I am so happy that with the reprinting of On The Loose it will now find its way into my grown children's hands as they continue to make their way and look beyond the light and dark.

There are so many wonderful and amazing photographs and quotes in this book. This book is truly an invitation towards insights gained by looking outward and beyond. Let yourself go beyond where you can barely see. Buy this book. Always ride for the high points! This is the book to take with you.

D. Budd
Edmonton, AB Canada

If I had to choose 10 books that I would bring with me to a desert island, this would be one of them.

This book is a treasure...golden and important. It is a primer of sorts for living a good and authentic and adventurous life...the bible with a small b for so many of my friends who discovered at some point how big the world is...and how much we can experience if we widen our perspective. "Take shelter under the cloud...while others flee to carts and sheds" I probably am misquoting from memory but there are so many great quotes in this small but vital book. One of my favorites for so many reasons...to be shared with friends and family.

This is an enjoyable little book full of photos taken by two brothers in the 1960s. The photos are all from the brothers' road trips across the U.S., but the stories of these trips aren't really here. Instead, the brothers pair each photos with a quote, in the classic Sierra Club style. Many of the quotes are from famous works, many are from the brothers themselves. Some don't make sense at all, such as a quote from a deer that's somehow multiple millennia old. Hmmm.
The book does have a GREAT photo of a girl looking sadly at a rising Lake Powell/flooding Glen Canyon, and a good section on Glen Canyon in general. However, I wish the book had more on the brothers' actual story, as the photos of them look intriguing, and the book's afterward mentions that one of the brothers died shortly before the book's initial publication.
I recommend this for Glen Canyon scholars, those interested in the Sierra Club and this century's environmenal movement and grainy sixties imagery, but I don't see how it's the life changing book that some people say it is. It didn't strike me that way.

The Twelfth Angel was a very emotional book that portraid the life of a man with a broken heart. It used a lot of forshadowing wich was hard to follow at times but was a main part of the story. It was a very predictible book that at times had you hanging by tip of your seat. I didn't rate the book very high because it was at times hard to follow but had a good plot that showed that he was a deep writer. Over all I thought it was a fine book and suggest that if you like drama and sad books with good endings it is the book to read.

This book just makes you want to count your blessings! I absolutely loved it!

I've read every book that Mandino has written. This was the first book that got me hooked on this author. He is a great story teller and a great motivational/inspirational writer! This is a must read for anyone over the age of 12. If all little league coaches read this book, there would be less problems with out of control coaches. This is not about baseball but about how to deal with life and how to treat people.

I have read everyone of Og Mandinos Books and all I can say is that he writes with brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit. You can never go wrong with any of his books. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve all that we as human beings are capable. He helped me to tap into my innate genuis and create a life of prosperity and creativity. If you havent raed his books, start now and your journey of the spirit will begin. He was a born writer and even after his passing continues to have a great influence on many people old and young. He truly lived a purposeful and divine life. Go buy all his books and enjoy the growth and enlightenment. After that Buy my Book " Your daily Walk with the Great Minds of the Past and Present". Enjoy and rememeber you are capable of great things in your life.

The Twelfth Angel, by Og Mandigo, is truly an inspiring and heartfelt story. This story left such an unforgettable impact on me that I know I'm likely to ponder it for years. Everyone should absolutely read this book, especially those in need of inspiration and hope. This book leaves you with tears, with hope you never knew you had, and with the wanting to never give up.

I don't want to give away too much, but this book is about a young, diligent, succesful, loving man who moves back to his small hometown of Boland, NH, with his wife Sally and their young boy Rick. When tradegy strikes, John has to struggle to cope. His life is shattered and he ultimately looks to suicide as an answer. Fortunately, his old friend, Bill helps him out of the gutter, which is where his life now lies, by asking him to help coach the boys little league. Uncertain, John finally accepts.

The day of tryouts John notices a boy who is smaller than any of the other kids, whose baseball hat and clothes look about two sizes too big on him. This little boy isn't very good at baseball, but he kept on trying, the whole time with determination and a big smile on his face. Although some of the older and better kids laughed and smirked at his constant mistakes and misses, this little boy was never put down and never stopped. And to John's surprise, this boy was amazingly the splitting image of his boy Rick! At first John had even thought he could have been Rick. This little boy, Timothy Noble, was by far the worst player of all the kids who tried out, and who had managed, almost as if by destiny, to end up on John's baseball team, receiving a jersey with number twelve on it.

Early on in the baseball season, John noticed that there was something very genuine and original about Timothy. What John and Timothy both don't know, is that their relationship will become very close, as they both need each other more than they can imagine.

I absolutely loved this heartfelt story. I even had tears gushing down my cheeks as I neared the end of the book. I think that this book is truly inspiring and comforting. I loved how caring and concerned John was of Timothy, and I especially loved little Timothy Noble and how happy he was. I was truly touched by this story and will always cherish everything I learned from this book. The lesson I think that Mandigo was in a way trying to get across is that you must be positive and have at least a good-maybe even a great-outlook on life, no matter what comes your way. If you are positive, you have a positive feedback, making your life richer everyday and in many different ways.

I really enjoyed Og Mandigo's writing style, as he was very, very vivid with his descriptions. I definitely plan to read more of his books in the future, and I would recommend this book to anyone who can read!

This is an excellent book. Very theologically sound too. An great reminder to look outside of ourselves, and be focused on giving God glory.

This book is an eye opener for those of us who gotten the order for life completely flip flopped. Not only does it open your eyes, but lovingly guides you to a right perspective on Who should be big in your life. Hint: it is not people. This book will free you from self imposed or other imposed bondage.

"Fear of man is such a part of our human fabric that we should check for a pulse if someone denies it." (pp. 17). Do I have your attention now? At our church's recent seminar on "How to Share Your Faith" the topic of fear came up as a main reason we don't share the Gospel more often. Since the Bible says that our hearts tend to turn all good things into idols, it should come as no surprise that the primary way we do this is with other people. And this idol impacts us in countless ways! From the back cover: "Pride, oversensitivity, defensiveness, avoidance of others, easy embarrassment, people pleasing, needing approval...You'll be surprised to learn how the fear of others controls you--and what you can do about it."

This is more than a self-help book - it is a theology book that reminds us of who God is, who we are, and how that relationship is supposed to look and impact all of our other relationships. Ed Welch is a counselor, but he is also a theologian, and he combines the two to really examine our hearts and our Lord. And his goal is not to dismiss your fears, but to place them in context. "If you have ever walked among giant redwoods, you will never be overwhelmed by the size of a dogwood tree. Or if you have been through a hurricane, a spring rain is nothing to fear. If you have been in the presence of the almighty God, everything that once controlled you suddenly has less power." (pp. 119). Knowing and fearing our God, exposes and cuts away the roots of our fears. Understanding our idols (people), show us how they don't deliver what we ask of them:

"People are our cherished idols. We worship them, hoping they will take care of us, hoping they will give us what we feel we need. What we really need are biblical shapes and identities for other people. Then instead of needing other people to fill our desires, we can love people for the sake of God's glory and fulfill the purpose for which we were created." (pp. 182).

The book is broken down into two parts. Part I is titled "How and Why We Fear Others" and Part II is "Overcoming the Fear of Others". His analysis of our hearts, our fears and the solutions to these issues are Biblical and Christ-centered through and through. It is readable and practical. It is helpful and hopeful! This is one of the most important books I have read in my walk with the Savior, and I urge you to read it as well! What have you got to lose - except the fears that bind you and rob you of your joy?

Anyone who is honest will find this topic relevant in their life. Welch exposes our tendency to be trapped into pleasing people instead of pleasing God. I have purchased 6 copies of this book to give away in the last 5 months and I will give away more in the next year.

This book presents the regretful truth of fallen man.

'Therefore we cannot rightly say, 'My God is not a God of judgment and anger; my God is a God of love.' Such thinking makes it almost impossible to grow in the fear of the Lord. It suggests that sin only saddens God rather than offends Him.' pg 103

'There was a time in my own life when I would practice the presence of God; then, when I felt His presence, I would pray. All went well, until the day I didn't feel His presence.' pg 83

'The emphasis on self-esteem also contributes to the fear of man. For example, even tho most self-esteem books indicate that it is something you can develop by yourself, almost all the books also say that one of the best ways to raise your self-esteem is to achieve some successes (which are then compared to what others do) or to surround yourself with people who affirm you (which leaves you dependent on their opinion).' pg 75

This would be my first choice book to work thru in a small Bible study group. Not only does Edward T Welch succeed in challenging our faulty 'Dr Phil' views, but he re-addresses our low view of God, in a practical and pastoral way. The subject matter is interrelated with our steadfastness and faithfulness, all of whom could benefit by reading this wonderful book.

A worthwhile excursion and bible-based exhortation which contradicts many Christian resources - especially the popular sort.