Scott Thomas Books

Inventing the Movies is really well written, describing with great clarity the history of innovation in the entertainment industry. Kirsner shows the century-long efforts of Hollywood pacesetters to innovate while others preferred to maintain the status quo. The author's extensive use of sources and recognizable theme makes his book compelling for both industry aficionado and the layman alike.

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Very well thought out and insightful. As an independent filmmaker, and at a time when the industry is going through so much change, I found it to be a very stimulating and relevant read.

Just adding a bit to the other reviews here:

Today we are in the midst of the most profound upheaval to Hollywood traditions in 100 years, so to provide analogy, one of the most important chapters was the first one, where Kirsner should have described in some depth the primordial battle between live theater and any sort of filming. Instead, he focuses on the competition between Kinetiscope and projection, as if film had vanquished live theater on day one and all that was left to do was iron out the details. Otherwise, this book hits the mark.

"Inventing The Movies" is an incisive chronicle detailing the history of technology in filmmaking. It is filled with fascinating tidbits and facts about the struggles movie innovators faced when attempting to enhance how movies are made.

Scott Kirsner has compiled a wealth of historical facts and he presents them in a wonderfully entertaining manner.

Truly an excellent and quick read. I highly recommend this book to any cinephile looking to understand the evolution of technology in film.

As one who considers himself a dedicated moviephile, I found Inventing the Movies to be both illuminating and entertaining. The wealth of information it offers in barely more than 200 pages is astounding and the manner in which technical detail is interwoven with personal stories keeps one's attention throughout. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in the motion picture industry.

Horton, coming from a conservative reformed standpoint, seeks to expose the fleshly and man-centred nature of much of what occurs under the name of spirituality and worship in contemporary evangelicalism. He contrasts modern mysticism and religious experience, which entails a personal seeking after the immediate manifestation of God's glory, with the way of the cross, as mediated through word and sacrament. I am neither 'reformed' (if by that you mean Horton's own type of Calvinism) nor cessationist as Horton passionately is, and yet in this I recognised much of contemporary evangelicalism (particularly the charismatic/Pentecostal movement of which I am a part) and also saw the validity of his warnings. He pinpoints something that has been niggling me for a long time, namely, the legalism and man-centredness of the modern mystical approach to God. The sort of approach that Pentecostals and charismatics have inherited from 19th-century religion (holiness, revivalism etc.) has bred a new religion in which the 'breakthrough', 'living in victory' and 'surrender' have become new targets to aim for as a way of gauging personal success in God. Horton's criticisms of contemporary worship are pertinent, and he highlights well the demise of the objective work of Christ's atonement on the cross and the rise of immediate mystical experience in the language of our hymns.

Yet his treatment of some individuals is unfair. For example, though he is generally on target with his criticisms of Torrey's 'steps to receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit', some of his inferences are petty and misrepresentative, eg. on the seventh step, 'faith', Horton comments: 'Faith? At the end? Until then everything the believer has done presumably has been accomplished without faith...' I suspect Horton has presumed wrongly, and faith is at the very centre of Torrey's eight steps, even if they can be criticised on other grounds. Also, I feel Horton somewhat misrepresents Wesley. He credits him with introducing William Law's mystical 'holiness' into the church, and yet in fact Wesley passionately rejected Law's approach after his conversion, and condemned that type of mysticism that that tried to lead people into 'holiness' without justification. Some of his comments about contemporary songs and singers are also out of place, eg. '...one should be far less worried about [Eric] Clapton than about Carman...ironically, Clapton at least has a song, 'Lord Have Mercy,' while Carman advocates the prosperity gospel and a curious Star Wars theology.' One might easily think that Carman never sings about God's mercy or the cross. Whilst there are legitimate criticisms to be made, jibes like these are just shallow and misleading.

He fails to explain adequately how the apostles and the early church were able to lay claim to signs and wonders, and what appear to be experiences of a more mystical nature than Horton seems prepared to allow. He to want to say that all such experiences are inherently tied up with a 'theology of glory', and yet it seems that the early church were able to get away with it unaffected. Horton ignores a major element of New Testament teaching by dismissing the possibility of 'experiences' of God.

Having said all this, however, the general thrust of Horton's book is clear. God is a holy God who is to be approached with reverence and fear through the one way he has made available to man - through the blood of Christ. Contemporary evangelicalism in many respects forgets this and pursues 'superior' experiences, experiences that are more 'direct', more 'intimate' and more 'fulfilling'. In the days of 'God-Chasing' (which this reviewer, at least, sees as just another brand of plain old mysticism that dispenses with the need for Scripture and sacrament), Horton's warning must be taken seriously.

In the Face of God addresses how it is possible even within the Christian community to be too spiritual. He believes it is essential that doctrines and not emotions or experiences be the foundation of our Christian lives. He discusses how gnosticism has infiltrated the Christian church from the very beginning and how it has continued to do so ever since. For example, he argues that nineteenth-century romanticism influenced the church (and its hymns) by allowing gnostic ideas to creep into Christian terminology. He worries that in this seeker-friendly mindset that the church will lose the true message of the gospel as they try to meet the felt needs of the community without addressing the ultimate issue of salvation. He emphasizes the need for the preaching of the Word in churches, sound doctrines in the pulpits (not pop psychology), and above all else a realization that God is a God to be taken seriously. Throughout the book he presents how different men and women (in the Bible) have reacted to their personal encounters with God. Each one reacted not with joy or giddiness but with fear and trembling. Meeting God was a humbling experience for each one. Being in God's presence--being made aware (even a small glimpse) of his glory and power--only makes one more aware of how sinful we are and how small we are in comparison to God. He worries that people are seeking a "God" of their own creation that can be sought by anyone at anytime without a mediator without fear of judgement or punishment. The truth of the matter is that unless Jesus stands as your mediator God is not a "safe" God to approach. Without Christ, only judgement can be the result of a meeting with God.

...change the way we look at spirituality. In our decadent day of modern Christian culture, very few are proclaiming the gospel truths that will enable us to return to the Better Way - the way of Scripture. Dr. Horton is one of these few, and this book is in my opinion his finest. Whether you are Reformed, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Roman or else, this book will broaden, if not transform, your view of biblical spirituality - the spirituality of the cross. Horton argues through sound exegesis that Biblical spirituality does not consist of the private, mystical ascension that is characteristic of both our modern day and the early church heresy of Gnosticism. The spirituality condoned in Scripture does not describe such ascension of man to the throne of God (for in so doing we find only fire and judgment). Rather, our spirituality is characterized by the descent of God to us (for there alone do we find grace, hope and peace), through Jesus Christ our mediator. Our spirituality consists in being identified with Christ, and this is afforded in the good grace of biblically instituted material sacraments. Buy this book, read it, teach it and re-read it.

Horton hits the nail right between the proverbial eyes with his treatment of this book on worship. If you're looking for something provocative, this is it. Read it and think, then weep at what you've mistakenly thought of or practiced as worship. Highly recommended.

This is a terrific book. Michael Horton steers the reader away from the current emphasis on subjective, gnostic religion -- especially in modern charismatic/Pentecostalism and much of pop evangelicalism -- and shows what true intimacy with the Almighty means. He also has an appendix answering common questions, including the subjective, self-centeredness common in modern praise and worship music. You might not agree with every point, but In the Face of God deserves your time and attention.

I have listened to Dr. Laura's radio show and read her books for several years, and this video is another winner! It uses cute puppet characters to present real world situations and examples of following (or breaking) the ten commandments; it is not too preachy, but presents it to kids in language they can understand. My kids love the songs, and I have to admit they are pretty catchy tunes. Parents can enjoyably watch this with their children, but children can also understand and enjoy it on their own. My kids are now 10 and 8, we've had this video a couple years, and they still watch it. Highly recommended!

As a divorced father with every-other-weekend custody, I was grateful to Dr. Laura for this DVD until my eldest said I only followed two of the commandments. Pointing out there was no commandment against selling kids into slavery shut her up pretty fast!

My 6 y.o. Eva loved it as did Tsion and Meklete. They ran around screaming GOD'S TOP 10! all day - but the DR Laura butterfly is kinda weird - but the puppets are funny.

These 11 songs (One for each commandment and a very fun theme song) are real eyes openers for children and thier parents. A great way to learn not only the 10 Commandments, but to internalize thier meanings. Lots of fun and a perfect companion to DVD. (Highly recommended if you can find it anywhere.) I look forward to seeing more of this kind of product soon.

These 11 songs (One for each commandment and a very fun theme song) are real eyes openers for children and thier parents. A great way to learn not only the 10 Commandments, but to internalize thier meanings. Lots of fun and a perfect companion to DVD. (Highly recommended if you can find it anywhere.) I look forward to seeing more of this kind of product soon.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it made me laugh until I cried and cry because some of the vignettes were so touching. A book which you can read in spurts, it's the funniest book I have read since Jerome K. Jerome's "Three Men in a Boat to Say Nothing of the Dog". A leisurely, casual, curl up with a good book read!

If You Can't Get Off The Horse You'd Better Learn To Ride is a lively, informative self-help, self-improvement treatise that is humorous, insightful, practical, and a joy to read. Author Scott Weigle draws upon personal anecdotes to demonstrate his advice on enjoying life, family, America, change, adulthood, work, marriage, success, achieving goals, and faith. This compendium of "life lessons" is reader friendly and a much appreciated addition to personal self-help reading lists and community library self-improvement collections.

Scott Weigle's endearing blend of humor and insight into the human condition yields a compelling narrative. Anyone of us can read a chapter from Mr. Weigle's book, close our eyes and step back into a chapter of our own life: experiencing again our joy, chagrin, embarassment, sadness, or satisfaction of the moment. I recommend this book for young and old alike -- it has provided many a night of laughs and thoughtfulness as bedtime stories in our home. Excellent read-aloud book for homeschoolers looking for honest and humorous commentary on the shaping of a boy's character from a rural American beginning through adulthood.

The stories, personal experiences and relationships shared by the Scott Weigle brought back personal memories which played on the entire scale of my emotions. I laughed,cried and even blushed with embarrassment while reading this book. Most readers have life experiences similar to the situations, circumstances, and feelings illustrated via the author's unique anecdotal style. This ability to relate with the author was what I enjoyed most about the book, however it was definitely much more rewarding than simply reading a collection of humorous stories without a message. We can all learn something from the perspective with which Scott Weigle views his own life stories. His shared experiences become the vehicle through which his life's lessons can deliver a powerful message in an unthreatening way. No matter how you approach this book,it will be a good reading experience. You can choose to simply enjoy the stories, learn something about yourself and others from them... or both!

"Always look at the bright side of your life. Always look at the lighter side of your life." Jack Nicholson sang those lines in one of his recent movies, and those thoughts echo throughout the context of Scott's book. Each chapter is cleverly written to make you laugh outloud! Some even pull a tear from your eye. Even my 13 yr old step son loved this book!

I have this book for each of my three oldest daughters and am so pleased to find it still available for my fourth daughter, now 3 months old. The book is wonderful, detailed, and will help any mom keep track of beautiful memories.

It is structured nicely with a lots of delighted illustrations till older age. Compare to all other similar books, I rated it the best!

I bought one copy of this book several months ago. After getting it home and perusing it...I discovered some unique and special advantages it has.Birthdays, special friends, family information are all regular features in most books....this book has all that...plus one more extremely special feature...you can also catalog your Child's "Spiritual", "Religious" or "Christian" journey through life...starting as an infant and continueing through their growing years! "Hat's off" to Terri Gibbs and Word Publishers...I wish I would have had one of these with my 20 year old...I bought her one anyway...and went through old memory books to fill in the blanks..Now my 13 year old daughter and 8 year old son also have their own...MAKES A GREAT GIFT FOR ANY MOM OR KID!

I bought this book and was so pleases with it that I have since purchased several copies as baby shower gifts for friends. It is a wonderful way of keeping track of the little things we tend to forget about our children as they grow up. It covers so many different aspects of their lives: friends, birthdays,family traditions, school and church information. I wished my mother would have kept recorded memories of my childhood so I could share them with my children. I can't wait to give the books to my children when they are old enough to appreciate them. What a special keepsake which can be passed down through the generations.

This is a mother's journal for her child. I received one as a baby gift and my older daughter desperately wanted one of her own. The illustrations are cute and the amount of writing required to complete the journal is about right for a busy mom.

This book was amazing. I've always been interested in Spirtual Warfare and both of these authors are great at depicting the Spirtual Battles all around us. I couldn't put this one down nor Sedona Storm the one before it. Does anyone know when the third one is coming out though, I've been trying to find it and I've had no luck. If you do know something about it, e-mail at peanutbuttercreme16@hotmail.com Thanks

Thoroughly enjoyable! Leaves you anxious for the promised sequel....A great writing team that moves the story at a fast understandable pace. (When is the next book due?)

This book is the best book I've read in a long time(besides Sedona Storm)! I love it and hope everyone else who reads it feels the same.

This book was filled with action and kept the images right before my eyes. I found myself praising God with the angels, praying with the saints and rebuking the enemy at every hand. This (and Sedona Storm) should be a movie!

I was also surprised but glad to see in the author notes that someone else had "experienced" Eckankar. That acknowledgement by Barbara Scott helped me know that what I'd gone through in those years really happened. Thank you for your truthfulness and thanks to Thomas Nelson for publishing both books.

God bless and I hope the sequel is out very, very soon.

I really liked the first book, Sedona storm, so that is why I decided to read this one, and I can tell you that I was not disappointed. The only thing that I would suggest is that you read Sedona storm first before you read this one, otherwise it's like reading the end of the book and then reading the first part :). But they are both very well done.

This is a cute story with some fun artwork. It shows how a yawn spreads from person-to-person (and sometimes via animal) all the way around the world.

Some of it is just silly fun. E.g., "A lady with three fancy poodles / dug into her plate of noodles / then plopped into a soggy snooze. / They put it on the morning news."

The book falls short of five stars because, in racing from place-to-place around the world, it lacks a continuing character. Kids like a character they can follow, and identify with, throughout a book.

My daughter is a little over a year old and she loves this book. It has become a requirement for our bedtime routine. She hands it to me when she is tired as a way to tell me it is time to go to bed. It is such a clever story and has great illustrations. The only problem with reading it to a toddler is that she enjoys turning the pages and tears them sometimes. I would definitely recommend this as a gift or an addition to your own child's library.

This is probably one of the best books in our collection. What a great imagination the author has! I like how at the end you fold back the flap, and there is little Sara fast asleep after her yawn affected so many people. A must have!!

This is a sweet book - what a clever story! My 4yr old and I read this recently and both were giggling because we kept yawning. Nice story for bedtime!!!

This is the perfect picture book for bed time reading. It is beautifully written and illustrated!

I also bought "Allergy-Free Gardening" by Thomas Leo Ogren, but this one is by far WAY more user-friendly! It lists all of the allergy-free plants (shrubs, trees, flowers) near the front of the book, followed by a section on allergy-producing plants. Full-color pictures accompany each listing, and the book even has a section on which allergy-free plants to replace allergy-producing plants. For instance, if you enjoy the look of one particular plant in your landscape but hate the allergies associated with it, you can find an allergy-free version that looks similar to it! A great read; THUMB's UP!!

I work as an Allergy Technician in a very busy ENT/Allergy Practice in Sonora, Calif., and find this book extremely helpful in showing my patients what they are exposed to, and also what not to plant for their own well being. This book is the best that I have ever seen for educating my patients. I understand that Scott Seargeant is working on a updated version and also a book strictly on indoor allergens. I have talked directly with this gentleman and found him to be very knowledgeble and personable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who suffers allergies or knows anyone that does.
Steve Haskill LVN II/Allergy Tech

This is a great book. It tells you which plants and trees are allergy-free and which ones are allergy producing. I take it with me to the garden shops when I go to buy plants and trees.

As a new seasonal allergy sufferer, I am interested in finding ways to reduce my symptoms while still being able to spend time outdoors in the garden. This book has shown me the variety of plants growing in my yard that produce high amounts of problem-causing pollens. The book contains chapters on Allergies, Medical Conditions Triggered by Allergies, Inhalant Allergens, Reducing the Allergy Triggers (including strategies for landscaping and re-landscaping), Allergy-Free Plants and Low Pollen Producers (with photographs), Allergy Producing Plants (with photos) and U. S. plant allergy maps for travelers, Photo Illustrations of Landscapes, Replacing Allergy Producing with Allergy-Free Plants (including suggestions for substituting specific allergy producing plants with allergy-free plants that have a similar look and landscape use), and several useful indices and supplements. I highly recommend it to anyone who gardens and anyone who has allergies.

The Heart of Commitment is a book that I wish I had found when I was newly married, it might have saved it. The insight and tools I gained from reading this book will guide me through my next relationship.

Forget the toaster and the blender for wedding gifts...buy this book.

Scott Stanley has paved the way for married couples to really understand what commitment in marriage is all about. He has taken the best from research and with his practical down-to-earth writing style inspires and motivates couples to reaffirm and deepen their heart commitment to each other. If more couples read this book and followed Dr. Stanley's excellent advice, divorce attorneys would be looking for another job. It is by far the best thing I have read on the subject of commitment!

I have read and browsed many a book on relationships to get through the typically rough first couple years of marriage. This is the first that actually offered sincere and truthful advice and inspiring thoughts. What I liked best is that Women are given as much of the blame as the guys are... This is very refreshing from the crap Ive read from Smalley.

A good read and some helpful things to consider.. Very intelligent reading.

Not your typical book on marraige. This is an excellent book and I'm usually pretty sceptical about these types of books. If you're engaged, thinking about marraige, or in a marraige and experience difficulty, this is a MUST READ!! If every couple read this before they got married I think the divorce rate would be a whole lot lower!

I bought this book as a memento of Oklahoma's centennial celebration for my adult daughter. She wants to be a children's book illustrator herself and has an art degree, so she is very selective about books like this. This book meets all her and my criteria for a beautiful children's book. It has artistically beautiful illustrations and a very positive message. It appeals to adults and children and to all races. The characters in this book are African-American, but the story is universal, and the values expressed are timeless and universal. For me it was very nostalgic when it talked of pioneer times and farm living, especially the brush arbor church services. It also spoke with reverence of a beautiful land, which I think Oklahoma is. This book might be a little advanced for pre-schoolers to listen to, but first grade and up will enjoy the story whether they can read it themselves or need someone to read it to them. I think the activities mentioned in the story would make a very good starting point for many more stories and activities for young children. It makes me, a native Oklahoman, proud of our state and people, especially knowing the auther and illustrator are both Oklahomans, too. So if the only pictures of Oklahoma you have ever seen are the old dust bowl days or the Oklahoma City bombing, you will be surprised by the beauty of our state. But it is the people who settled this state and who remained to make it a great state who earned us the title of The Heartland.

BECAUSE OF ITS BEAUTIFUL POETRY, I THINK I HAVE HEARD OF A LAND IS EXCELLENT READING FOR YOUNG AND OLDER PEOPLE

I Have Heard of a Land presents a colorful lesson in American history, in such a way that readers of all ages can enjoy. With an eloquent tone and beautiful illustrations, I Have Heard of a Land is sure to be cherished for time to come. Ms.Thomas has done it again! She has created yet another timeless work of art.

Everyone should read this story.I HAVE HEARD OF A LAND is very informing and inspirational. I personally love the poetry along with the images.