H Books

I highly recommend this book for anyone studying or teaching the life of David in I and II Samuel. It gives an excellent portrayal of the character of this very human man as he tries to please his God.

Explores the spiritual formation of King David from his earliest experiences with Goliath to his time in the desert running from Saul to the death of his son Absalom and his eventual death. Makes a great adult study in a small group or Sunday school context.

I found a copy of this book in my in-law's attic. I looked through the contents and decided to read the chapter on Friendship - David and Jonathan. Peterson is profound in this chapter. His comments on friendship as an expression of spirituality were so insightful that I am viewing my relationships with others in a new way already. I was even convicted that my friendship with my wife was not sufficient by God's standard. Wow, what a difference one chapter can make. I can hardly wait to buy this book and read the all of Peterson's reflections on the life of David. I like this "earthy spirituality." Give it a try, you might like it too.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Is the Bible passe, or is it still relevant for today? Does Christianity mean the triumphalstic life? What is the end goal of being a Christian? How can I live an authentic Christian life?

Eugene Peterson (the author of The Message) reflects on the life of David in this book and looks at what we can learn. Every chapter contains important lessons to being a Christian, and areas that we are to reflect on, and how we interact with God in our relationship with Him. The life of David becomes a platform for us to learn about our spirituality and relationship with God.

The following are some facts about David:
- The David story is the most extensively narrated single story in the Bible. We know more about David than any other person in the Bible.
- The life of David showed the humanity of this man after God's heart, and there are many themes that run through the life of David, e.g. parents, relationships, danger, murder, temptation, adultery, pride, humiliation, children, wives, rejection, sickness, justice, fear, peace, death...
- David did not perform any miracles.
- David sinned more than Saul, yet he was known as a person after God's own heart.
- David was known as a man served God's purposes in his generation (Acts 13:36).

The story of David is simultaneously earthy and godly. It shows us that we are never more alive than when we are dealing with God. David was an unfortunate parent, an unfaithful husband, and if we look at him from a purely historical perspective, he was a barbaric chieftain with a talent for poetry. But David's importance isn't in his morality or his military prowess but in his experience and witness to God. Every event in David's life was a confrontation with God.

Spirituality and humanity cannot be separated. We can't grow spiritually without understanding our humanness. We can't grow humanly without understanding our spirituality. David shows us that we can't be human without God. Understanding all this gives hope to many Christians that God looks at the heart, and it is about having a relationship with God. There are many lessons to learn, one of the most impactful to me was David's years in the wilderness.

It seems that all of God's leaders will at sometime go through a wilderness experience at least once. The wilderness experience is not something that any flesh likes, but it is an experience that can sanctify and consecrate the flesh. "Wilderness is the place of testing, the place of tempting" (pp. 75). In David's wilderness experience, he was being set apart, made holy, for God's use. The more he dealt with God, the more human he became (pp. 75). The wilderness was an attack on the flesh and a thrust towards dependence on God. In fact, David seemed most "spiritual" in his days in the wilderness.

Wilderness spirituality also includes being with the company of people we would not ordinarily choose to be with, and who would not ordinarily choose to be with us. (pp. 96). God uses others to point us to Him. If we see that the wilderness is filled with people we do not want to be with, we would have missed God. But if we see the wilderness being filled with God, we would not miss the people in it. "The wilderness taught David to see beauty everywhere. The wilderness was David's school in the preciousness of life; through wilderness testing David learned to see God in places and things he would never have thought to look previously. The wilderness immersed David in beauties so profound that a cheap revenge was unthinkable. The wilderness trained David in loyalties so binding that a broken oath was impossible. The wilderness exposed David to the presence of God in the most barren piece of rock so that no thing, and certainly no man, could ever be treated with scorn or contempt." (pp. 77-8) We cannot be naïve about the wilderness; it is a dangerous place. But we must never avoid the wilderness; for it is a wonderful place (pp. 80). "Hardship brings out the best in David. Suffering can, if we let it, make us better instead of worse" (pp. 198).

If you have ever felt discouraged by your own imperfections in your Christian walk, read this book! David is about as earthy and real as a person gets. As another reviewer wrote, the chapter on the friendship between David and Jonathan is also insightful and valuable. Eugene Petersen explores the reality of David's life situations and choices, and how his relationship with God was affected by them. In so doing, he highlights how God grows us and walks beside us throughout all of the trials of life, even those we bring upon ourselves. Ultimately, despite everything, David remained "A man after God's own heart" proving the existence and endurance of God's grace and acceptance, and that there's hope for us all!

Excellent writing reminiscent of Madeline L'Engle, but not in the same league as A Wrinkle in Time. This book would be better for older ages as some of the language is a bit abstract. I wished the area of Lightland was more substantial as there doesn't seem to be a lot going on there. Not a thrilling journey, but still pretty good writing.

I could write a whole review, but i only need one word...AWESOME! I loved it and couldn't put it down!

This is my favorite book ever! I have read it five times already and am likely to read it much more! If you like fantasy books with a little magic and lots of excitement, this is a book for you! The main characters are exotic, interesting and keep the readers on their toes. I'd definitely suggest this book!

This book is on of the most amazing books i've ever read!!!!!! It is the BEST!!!! It's fantasy, which i love, but it has some different plot ideas than most fantasy! it raises some interesting questions and ideas about memories, and how important they are to us. I've read this book about ten times!!!!! The characters are wonderful!! Lottie is so likable and Lewis is one of the most fascinating characters i've read about in any book, ever! and i've read a lot of books! The plot is quick moving, interesting and suspensful. The whole thing is extraordinarily well written!!!!! I could write pages and pages about this book, but i really only need three words: IT IS AWESOME!!! I would recommend it to absolutely anyone!!! Also, my mom is the author, but that's completely irrelevant.

Magical dorms in England? Who needs 'em. McCutchen gives us the down-home American farmland specificity of Iowa, very firmly rooted in time and space and a jumping-off point for a fine children's fantasy that will capture adults too. Perfectly paced, Lottie and Lewis's forays into Lightland left me wanting more; perhaps in what will hopefully be Lightland's sequel(s?) we will find out: what happened when Lottie's father and Ms. d'Avignon went to Lightland as youngsters? Are the memories they created still there? Will Lottie and her father ever go there and maybe, just maybe, will Lottie get to meet her mother? And most sinister of all, is the Nightking REALLY gone? (and for the romantics among us, is Lottie going to get a new mom, one who's really cool?????)

One of the things I loved most about this book was the emphasis that memories make a person. Some cultures can recite lineages back thousands of years--in America we seem to have amnesia about who we are and the people we came from. So enjoy this book. But to really learn something from it, to carry on the spirit of it, this holiday season sit down next to that deaf old relative of yours that you usually ignore and ask them about their memories. And maybe tape them, or write them down. Why not? Then when your kids ask YOU.....you'll have memories too.

Long Goodbye: The Deaths Of Nancy Cruzan by William H. Colby is the in-depth and true story of a judicial trial concerning Nancy Cruzan, a woman who was thrown from her vehicle and suffered horrific injuries. Since that tragic accident, Nancy has remained in a coma for five years, until her family abandoned hope for her revival and requested the removal of Nancy's feeding tube so her life could end peacefully. But the state intervened and denied the family's wishes. Thus began a extended legal battle began over who had the authority and the right to authorize the end of medical intervention with respect to a patient like Nancy. Long Goodbye is a profoundly emotional story of striving to do what one hopes is the right thing, in accordance with the wishes of those who cannot speak for themselves -- and the role of government to intrude into family and medical issues. This is a profoundly important issue that plays out in our hospitals and nursing homes every day. At the crux of the matter is the right to life, the right to die, and who has the final authority over a loved one caught up in a plight similar to Nancy Cruzan and her family.

no matter the side you take in the persistent vegetative state, this book exposes you to the intricate details of life and death matters. William Colby is not only an outstanding lawyer but a great author. the book is detailed with facts and carries you into a world that we dont normally think about or decide to ignore: the world of legal matters concerning death and what happens if this is a personal matter. you'll learn a lot from this book aside from it being an interesting and engaging read!!!!!!!!!

I really am enjoying this book. Although I am reading it as an assignment, I believe I would have read it regardless.

Despite this book being written by the lawyer who represented the parents of Nancy Cruzan who wanted feeding apparatus to be withdrawn and thus to have Nancy die, this book presents the issues and the struggle fairly and even-handedly. This is shown in a way since after reading it I conclude the U.S Supreme Court's decision was right--in the circumstances shown the family could without monetary loss have permitted their child to not be starved to death. The account of the trial and of the appellate history of the case is absorbing and shows the author is an able lawyer, admirable in representing his clients. I have no hesitancy in saying if it had been my child I would not have gone to the efforts which Nancy's father went to in order to have his child die. But psychologically Nancy's parents wanted the living death to end and their lawyer was right to seek the relief his clients desired. An extraordinary book.

During my training as a chaplain at Baylor University Medical Center, it was considered part of the "dues" of training that one would take lots of being on-call at the hospital for handling of emergencies. To that end, there was a "call room" where a chaplain could catch a little sleep, while waiting. On one of those sleepless nights in the call room, I viewed a Frontline special on the story of Nancy Beth Cruzan. She was a young woman, fully alive, who, as a result of a terrible accident, would become a test case for end-of-life matters for years to come. After seeing that special, I was deeply touched by the need to convey what our wishes were for the ends of our lives.

The Nancy Beth Cruzan case took the better part of ten years before resolution. The lawyer who fought for her right to be disconnected from the feeding tube was William Colby, the author of this outstanding book. Those of us on the front lines of trying to help families prepare for the issues they will face at the end of life will find insight into the ramifications of that case, as well as grist for the mill of the work that we are doing.

Colby is a highly readable author (at times, I felt like I was reading a Grisham novel), the Cruzan's case is deeply compelling, the story is truly tragic, and readers will come away with an appreciation of the law and concepts that are involved in pursuing these matters. There are several important story lines running throughout this volume: There are the lawyers, one who pulls an unexpected punch; the politicians, aiming for re-election; the Cruzans, especially Nancy's father, Joe, a salt-of-the-earth laborer, broken to the core over the loss of his little girl; a common sense probate judge, just trying to do the right thing; and the right-to-life movement (with whom we generally have sympathy, but not in this case). Indeed, under the skillful telling of Mr. Colby, law itself becomes a character, fickle at times, inflexible at others, and, at the last, compassionate.

ElderHope heartily recommends this excellent book.

As others have noted, it's an easy book to quickly read and underestimate, but it's a very useful book when you actively think it through. I can vouch for its value as I'm about to use it for the second time in my undergrad intro to Entrepreneurship class at Marquette U. Judging from the quality of the plans last time (following the general outline of the appendix) and from their comments, they really have managed to develop personally meaningful, realistic and actionable plans. The first clue I had that the book has this quality was when I noticed that my wife, who is a busy business lawyer, was spending a lot of care going over it in the evenings, while preparing for a major case. So I'd conclude that it is useful for a range of readers.

Make Your Own Luck is an excellent book, with more pragmatic, useful content than I've found in most business books.

My background is in engineering and science, then business. As an engineer, I really liked that there's a "right answer." Or at least, there are clear wrong answers (the bridge will collapse if we make it out of tissue paper, period). In business, things aren't so easy. Most situations have too many factors to identify, let alone consider deeply. Shareholders interact with managers who interact with technology and customer service people and engineers and operations and ... it's tough to know how to think about all this.

Make Your Own Luck lays out a 12-step process (hmm...) for taking risks. Some of the steps sound simple: Know your big goals before you begin, so when you make bets in your life, you're betting on what you actually want. Sounds obvious? Yeah, but in my own work with executives, I've found that people easily lose sight of their real goals(1). The power from Shapiro and Stevenson's approach comes from having a rigorous checklist to consider when making risky bets.

Some of their tools help evaluate risks that I've never known how to tackle. For example, the authors give us "prediction maps," a tool for identifying low-risk, high-reward opportunities. Simple, elegant, and practically useful. Their other big new tool is "uncertainty grids." Uncertainty grids let you quickly test your plans against combinations of uncertainties to realize whether you've unconsciously anchored yourself to a single scenario, or whether your plans can survive multiple uncertain events.

Behind the tools, they slip in some subtle thinking shifts that are worth pondering in detail. In a paragraph or two, they dismiss "high rewards require high risks" and claim you don't need high risk to get high rewards. Maybe in their world, but that's not how I think. Yet I've also heard Warren Buffett say something similar, so I'm changing my beliefs around risk/reward. That said, it would have been nice if they had pulled out some of their mindset shifts and devoted more time to helping me-as-reader explore what amount to big changes in worldview.

The writing style is fun, with thought experiments between the chapters, a final chapter of scenarios to analyze using the 12 steps, and haiku or other verse at the start of each chapter. I found it a pleasant change from the overly heavy style of most substantive business books, and it was an easy read cover-to-cover that did justice to its excellent content.

I heartily recommend the book. Go check it out!

- Stever

(1) Being a professional, of course, I never, ever lose sight of my own goals. Really.

This book has a lot of potential because it covers the hot topic of how to use "predictive intelligence" (PI) to make business or personal decisions. Unfortunately, the execution falters, since both the book and the topic exist at two levels: dry material vs. attempts to explain it. Presentations about probability are inherently dry, so to liven up their discussion, authors Eileen C. Shapiro and Howard H. Stevenson use real-world examples and creative images. However, in the end, their lively metaphors dilute their information delivery. Readers will rightfully wonder what "wallpaper jujitsu," "magic thinking," "strategic rat hole zone," "bolt-on bets" and the "OOPA! Process" are all about, and the authors don't always fully explain these intriguing-sounding devices. Teaching PI is challenging, but breaking it down into a dozen components doesn't help as much as the authors might have hoped. While we find that the book presents a clear process, interesting anecdotes and good analogies, it also ends with a series of quizzes that have more than one right answer - leaving you both puzzled and intrigued. However, those are pretty good starting points for learning about odds-making and PI.

This book is a must read for anyone who is serious about improving the odds that their actions will produce the intended results.

The book has at least four things going for it:
* The authors' deep, relevant experience in business, business theory and real-world decision making.
* A practical, straightforward approach to acting in the face of uncertainty -- based on the sequential application of 12 skills and processes that, taken together, should improve anyone's "predictive intelligence."
* Stories -- lots of engaging, memorable stories that bring the process to life.
* Interactive elements that allow you to test your understanding of the material.

For me, Make Your Own Luck has been more than just another good business book. As the CEO of a start-up business, I and my associates face more than our share of uncertainty. And, given our limited resources, the consequences of bad bets can be particularly unwelcome.

We faced just such a situation a month ago when an important part of our business was underperforming. So, we turned to Make Your Own Luck and quickly realized that the source of our problems laid in steps 5 and 6 of the Gambler's Dozen, where we had relied on too much "magic" while failing to deal with an "elephant in the living room" (read the book and you will understand). Fortunately, we had a Plan B (also covered in step 6) and we are back on track.

The book's advice was direct and effective - almost as though we had Shapiro and Stevenson on our Board asking tough questions and offering possible solutions. Like I said, it is a must read.

Although in previous reviews, the word "easy" is used, the value of this book is found by taking the time to give it serious study. "Make Your Own Luck" is not a simple read with slap-your-head insight at the end of each chapter. Rather, it provides a step-by-step methodology that, if you understand and follow it, increases the odds of your success.

Even though I'm a highly productive person, prior to buying this book, my thoughts and actions related to a business plan were scattered and unproductive. Based on my anxiety, I instantly understood the value of "The Gambler's Dozen Predictive Map." This technique shows how to match goals (bets) against probability (the unknown), a process so clarifying that it inspired me to created a software application so I could easily use this technique on a wide-range of issues.

I just finished studying the concept of "risk splits." After mastering the Predictive Map, it still took a few hours to wrap my mind around what the authors were describing; not because they are unclear, but because I've never before cast my thoughts using the patterns that they suggest. What I learned is that the hardest thing about making winning business decisions is understanding the impact of the future. By employing "risk splits," I can now look back from the future to analyze today, which is a major shift in my thinking process.

I'm starting to define my "It," a task of concisely describing my business that I've put off for the past year. As I'm a writer and a programmer, describing objectives is easy for me. In this case, however, I've come to realize that the uncontrollable elements revealed in my Predictive Map increased my anxiety and scrambled my brain. In other words, without employing "magic thinking" (more commonly called "BS"), I didn't know enough about my own project to make a meaningful statement, or properly invest my time and money (called "marbles" in Luck-speak) to make it come to life.

After the disappointment of "Let Me be a Woman" and the disgust I felt at Elliot's words that women are meant to be responders and submitters to masculine authority, I could only imagine what this book told men. I admit I felt very impatient and even resentful of the men who say they love this book; I felt like yelling at them, "Of course you love it! She fills your heads with how you're supposed to be leaders and rulers of the world, who wouldn't love that?" To me, men who ate this up, especially from a woman, seemed like kings enjoying hearing their subjects tell them how much they enjoyed their rule. When opportunity finally presented itself, though, I looked into this book for myself (digging my heels in the whole time) and found a lot more worth than I thought I would.

The great thing about Elisabeth Elliot is that she's calm and sensible. That may sound like a very ordinary thing, but what I mean is that she has a way of expressing herself that rarely offends. I've come across books that made me want to slam them after reading the first page because of their sarcasm or patronization, but Elliot's steady way of speaking is very easy to sink into. Obviously, I don't like all of her views and I think her views of womanhood, when summed up in one sentence, can look disgusting, but overall she's one of the most enjoyable complimentarians to read.

I guessed when I saw this book that Elliot would be telling men their place is to initiate, rule, and have authority, whereas women were meant to respond and submit to this. I was right, and Elliot's poor description of Eden and claim that Adam had authority over Eve rankled with my senses. However, in this case she went into more detail as to the background of her beliefs that femininity means response. Initially, I thought this simply meant that she believed women respond and follow, but it's more complicated than that. Elliot first described masculinity to the sun and femininity to the earth: the sun pours out its light and the earth responds by flourishing and providing life. This description suited me a lot better than the one I had in mind (Adam towing Eve along) and, even better, Elliot described the method of initiation and response to be a very circular one. She cites Paul, who said that, while woman came from man, does not man now come from woman? (Meaning childbirth) I found this to be a very suiting and nice description.

Elliot's belief that men should initiate and have authority goes into society, marriage, and relationships in general. She says that men are meant to initiate love and that women nowadays are far too aggressive. While this may be true, I really don't see any problem with a woman subtly initiating a relationship by showing her interest. There's really far too much pressure on men to lead in everything and, while I admit I personally would love to be pursued rather than do all the pursuing, I wouldn't mind gently leading into a relationship with a man who is shyer than me. Just take Ruth in the Bible, for example; she snuck into the house and lay down at the object of her affection's feet, for pity's sake! Not exactly subtle, was she?

Elliot has a wonderful understanding and appreciation of masculinity; I just think she gives it far too much credit. Men are by far not the only leaders, rulers, or initiators; this is a gross insult to women and various women in the Bible prove this kind of thinking wrong. While Elliot by no means encourages men to be dominators, her view is still one-sided and incomplete. I gave this book a good rating because it does instruct men to do what they are meant to do. God calls men to lead and teach in His name. However, He doesn't call men to rule over women as a whole in any shape or form and this belief is incorrect no matter how gently spoken. Elliot got most of it right; she just went a little overboard, giving men too much credit and women not nearly enough when it comes to certain vital roles.

If you are a man, there are many things you could probably learn from this book and I'm not discouraging you from reading it. Brothers in Christ, you ARE meant to be leaders, rulers, and teachers; never let anyone tell you otherwise. However, you are not the only sex who is meant to do these things; please don't buy into the belief that you are, especially if you read this book. If you are open minded enough to at least explore the truth that your sisters in Christ are equal to the tasks God has appointed us, then you'll know to take some of Elliot's words with a grain of salt. If you're a staunch complimentarian, believing it is the destiny of your gender to lead and you're looking for a book to show you how to be a servant leader, then this is probably the best one you could get.

The parents of the girl I'm dating asked me to read this. Having read some of her other works, I was very willing to. I think it is an excellent book for young men with many truths and practical applications that could help a male be more of the type of man God designed him to be. I thought it had several points that young females could benefit from, either for themselves or to help evaluate potential suitors.

There are probably some subtle doctrinal differences I would have with Mrs. Elliot, but they are minor enough to not negate the good and needed exhortation in this book

This book was awesome. I cannot say enough good things. Elisabeth Elliot is a woman of wisdom and insight. It was like having my grandmother sit me down and talk to me about the kind of man I need to be. She is a wealth of ideas, principles, and ways of Living. She has walked the walk and knows God. She was married to a great man of God.

This is a must read. If you are a man...but it. If you are a woman buy it for the man or boy in your life.

Elizabeth Elliot, who is definitely no shrinking violet, wrote this politically incorrect book as advice to her nephew on the true "Mark of a Man". Just as she took on the Jungles of South America to attend to the medical and spiritual needs of the cannibals who martyred her husband, James Elliot, (the pilot in the movie "Tip of the Spear"), Elizabeth takes on the confusing elements of what truly make up the "Mark of a Man". This book is long on character and Biblical Truth and short on catchy phrases that couldn't stand the test of time. If you are looking for canned answers, don't purchase this book!

I read this book out loud to my boys. The best there is on how to be a real man. Written by a real woman. Maybe somebody can wirte one on being a real woman....by a man?

I got this book as a special holiday treat one year, and it is a marvelous book full of luscious photographs and histories of places that most of us will never see. In general though, the libraries, being Western European treasures of a certain age, are extremely ornate. As it happens, my taste in decor must be more serene -- I found too many of the photos to be unappealing(!) Or rather, the photos were beautiful, but the places were unappealing. The biggest exception to that surprising observation was the John Rylands Library, in Manchester, England, which I hope one day to visit.

I love books, and think that a book project of this nature is a fine thing, and it is a well made book. But I was left feeling unsatisfied.

I would have given it 3 stars, because I am sad that it leaves me so hungry, but truly it is no fault of this book. Buy it if you like it, only do please consider whether you really want it. It's a gorgeous coffee-table book, but, by the same token, it's a big, expensive thing to have laying about if you don't quite love it.

I had read the book as part of a reading list assignment. Liked it so much, I decided to buy it as a gift for an old friend who is now enjoying it also.

This coffee table book should amaze book lovers and give a physical reaction to library lovers. The pictures--and the paper of the pages--are very high quality technically. The book includes a number of foldouts where the picture spans three page size spaces. And the libraries are amazing. I have looked at this book over and over, and for a long time took up valuable 'real estate' on my desk having this book open to one or other libraries. Some of the pictures are jaw-dropping and make one feel like they were setting their feet in the room right then...or traveling back in time one or two hundred years to hear chairs scraping or footfalls.

The drawback to the book includes a) the libraries are all in the Western world (Russia is perhaps the only exception), which is perhaps not an issue except that the title is the Most Beautiful Libraries in the World. I have to imagine there are South American (all the beautiful wood in the continent can't have avoided going to bookshelves); Asian and other geographic libraries outside of Europe and the US; b) the libraries seem chosen for a mix of reasons, and one of which seems to be the statuary and art in the library itself. While the pictures are breathtaking, some library denizens might be interested in these factors playing less of a role; and c) the elegant text seems to meander into some 'interesting facts' about each library but most of the comments are historical or art-historical, without the interesting information about collection sizes, who uses the library today, what role does it play in the culture, etc.

The great libraries of history have endured such vicissitudes of fortune through the centuries - destruction by revolution, war and fire, dispersal through pilfering, confiscation, monastic decline, loss of patronage - & perhaps the unkindest cut of all, at one point the sale of its books by Oxford University to pay the librarian's wages. It is truly astonishing that so much has survived. This book is a celebration of 23 of these unique and beautiful cathedrals of knowledge in America and Europe.

At a time when most of his subjects were illiterate, the Austrian Habsburg Charles VI created the Hofbibliothek in Vienna. He decreed that its doors be open to (almost) everyone; they could enter free of charge and as often as they wished, but there were a few exceptions: the library was off limits to "ignoramuses, servants, idlers, talkers and gawkers." Alas, the Hofbibliothek is no longer free and, like many libraries included in this book, it is now accessible only to a favoured few.

Indeed, the closest most of us will ever get to the Hofbibliothek or the 22 other great libraries enshrined in its pages is through this book, and for this reason alone, it belongs in the book-lover's collection. There is a brief history of each library, but the real attraction is the spectacular colour photography, including several "gatefold" pages which open to provide wonderful panoramic views nearly 3 feet wide.

Next to the awe-inspiring magnificence of Hofbibliothek, the white and gold Baroque splendour of the Benedictine Abbey Library of Admont in Austria rivals the gold and marble Rococco opulence of the Monastic Library of Wiblingen near Ulm Germany, although after secularisation the latter lost most of its vast book collection.

Another Baroque wonder is The National Library of the Czech Republic in Prague, with its twisted wood columns and trompe-l'oeil frescoed ceiling which draws the eye upward "to confound the true already impressive scale of the hall". When I had the good fortune to visit nearly three decades ago, ironically, it was as a "gawker", on a bus tour of Eastern Bloc capitals. Whisked in and out, we were prohibited from taking photos; no postcards or souvenir booklets were available; memory faded. I am especially pleased to find this unique library included here.

The Vatican Library might be mistaken for a grand reception hall; gold leaf papal insignia, and biblical-themed frescoes framed by ornate moldings cover its panelled walls and vaulted ceilings - and not a book in sight. All of its books are hidden behind securely locked doors. The Vatican Library is, however, open to authorized researchers and its catalogue of 1.6 million printed works is fully computerized.

The somewhat austere National Palace Library in Mafra, Portugal was modeled after the Hofbibliothek in Vienna, but the money ran out before completion and the Franciscans who took it over in 1792, in keeping with their vow of poverty, declined to gild the woodwork, whitewashing it instead. This has faded to a peaceful but elegant cream, against which the coloured titles of the leather book bindings stand out.

A relative new-comer at barely a century old is the John Ryland Library in Manchester, England, commissioned by the widow of a rich industrialist to commemorate her husband's memory. It was designed to resemble the interior of a Gothic cathedral complete with soaring arches, carved oak panelling and stained glass windows but also was equipped with electricity, air conditioning and millions of dollars worth of rare books.

Less ostentatious, perhaps, but still beautiful and certainly more democratic are University Libraries at Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin and truly public libraries in New York City and Washington, D.C.

If your appetite has been whetted by "The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World" you may want to look for more in-depth treatments. For the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, just such a book exists, the lavishly illustrated "Treasures of the Library of Congress" by Charles Goodrum, Abrams, 1980, 318 pages. It contains views of the interiors and chapters on the building of the Library of Congress and its book collection, but the emphasis is on many other artefacts housed there - its vast collection of music scores, sound recordings, films, Orientalia, prints and historic photographs. "Treasures..." is long out of print, but used copies can be found.

Addendum (December 30, 2007): The World's Most Beautiful Libraries was published in 2003. In 2004 the exquisite Rococo interior of the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, another of the libraries featured in the book, was gutted by fire and many of its 100,000 books and manuscripts destroyed. A heroic fund-raising project ensued and the library was restored and reopened in October 2007. Three books documenting these events have been published in Germany (in German text). They are:"Die Bibliothek brennt: Ein Bericht aus Weimar" (about the fire); "Es nimmt der Augenblick, was Jahre: Vom Wiederaufbau der Buchersammlung der Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek" (discusses the losses, book restoration & reacquisition) and "Die Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek: Nach dem Brand in neuem Glanz" (describing the building restoration.) This third volume may be appreciated even by the non-German reader because of its plentiful and beautiful illustrations.

This is a marvelous book to whoever loves books.

It presents many important historic libraries in the world; each library is presented in informative and sober texts and with accompanying photos. These photos try to capture the overall look of the library (even if this is rather difficult) and several interesting details, sometimes including secondary rooms. The texts focus on the history of the library in question, but also give some information about contents.

There is only a minor quibble, and it cannot be taken too seriously: the authors had to chose and that led them to ignore many marvelous libraries. If there is one I particularly lack, it would be the Real Biblioteca da Universidade de Coimbra (Royal Library of Coimbra University, one of the oldest European Universities). It has been stated to be 'the most beautiful library in the world', and I cannot but agree.

But this is probably a question of personal taste. As it is, the book is wonderful and useful.

I needed a book on grammar. There are so many different rules it's hard to keep them straight. I needed the basics and I needed a quick reference guide. I did not need one of those huge books that had 300 plus pages. They were filled with nonsense and radom rules that only English professors need to know! This book is easy to understand. Don't know the difference between bore and bore? Or altar and alter? There is a quick guide in the back to show you what to use. Get confused with lay, and laid? There is also a nice chart that shows you the difference between present, past and past participle. There is so much packed into this little book it will amaze you.

This book is excellent. And it's so easy to understand. It doesn't bog you down with unless information. This is a must have for everyone!

"Nitty-Gritty Grammar" is an outstanding book. I read it prior to having its authors Edith Fine and Judith Josephson on my talk radio show on WRKO Radio in Boston. They were informative and funny and the phone lines were full the entire hour they were on my show. The key to this book is that it is both educational and entertaining. In someone else's hands, this book could be a real snoozer. In Judith and Edith's hands, it is a work of art. If you read this book, you will stop making up "irregardless" and other words which don't exist (see page 85.) You will stop mispronouncing words like "asterisk" (it's not asterick-- see page 72.) And you will never again misplace your apostrophes, dangle your participles or commit other high crimes and misdemeanors against grammar, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation (see pages 1-102--the entire book.) The book includes many cartoons which will teach you while you laugh. The section on "Ways to Tame the Spelling Monster" is indispensable with clever ways to remember the correct spelling of words including "dessert" (it has two s's--think strawbery shortcake). If you only read the "ticker tape" which runs throughout the book at the bottom of each page, you will learn more than you did in twelve years of boring English classes. The amazing part of this book is that it can be used by children, teenagers and adults. I suggest you buy copies for your entire family and all your friends and coworkers. They'll speak properly when they thank you.

Bob Katzen, WRKO Radio, Boston, Massachusett

As a writing teacher and home schooler, I haven't found a more enjoyable grammar reference book. My 11 year old son picked it up one day and read straight through the entire book in one afternoon. The appeal of the cartoons, the easy to understand explanations and the user friendly format make this the grammar reference of choice for all grammar-impaired parents who teach their own kids. I highly recommend it!

Our child brought home grammar for the third grade and we had forgotten half of what we had learned in school. This book really helped us out greatly and I am sure we will get a lot more use out of it in years to come.

Over the years I've fallen into poor grammer habits. This little gem of a book has helped me clean up my act--or should I say mouth! Keep it close by so you can consult it often. The fun layout makes it easy to grab a quick lesson here and there.

I've been teaching for fifteen years, have read hundreds of books on every aspect of theory and application, and can say unequivocally that this is the single most useful and important book I've yet to read. Ok, ok, I'll equivocate just this once and add it's partner book, Positive Classroom Instruction. If you are going to teach, these books are scripture. Everything else is commentary. Whatever your teaching style, whatever approaches you take to motivate learners, these two books will enhance your effectiveness and make your classroom a better place for children to learn. You will get more teaching done in less time and reach more students with individual attention.

I have been using this program for 6 years with my emotionally handicapped class. Teaching is easy and fun due to Jones' simplistic and cost effective ways to self-eliminate behavior. I went from an average of 15 office referrals a week down to less than 5 all year! Best of all the kids are happy and test scores are on the rise! This is the first easy program that applies in any classroom and on the parental home front too!

I had been teaching 7th and 8th grade science for two years at an inner city school and was doing fine. I had my classes under control, but I was getting worn out keeping them under control. I read the intro to this book and couldn't wait to finish it and implement his methods. I read it over again during the two weeks before school for the next 4 summers to refresh myself. He clearly explains methods to maintain perfect control and cooperation with less work and keep your own stress level way down. I go home much more relaxed now. The kids love it too. He originaly developed these methods at schools for the severely emotionally disabled, so I'm sure they will work anywhere.

I read this book a long time ago.
In a nutshell, I remember two ideas:
Number one: Promise the class a reward for good behavior, and reward the class according to how well they behave.
Number two: If a student misbehaves, approach the student and silently give that student an evil eye.

This book arrived in my mailbox one day before my first substitute teaching job, and I started reading it right away. I was 100% better off having read it. In fact, I don't think I would have survived that first day without the techniques I quickly picked up. I've since read most of the book and re-read parts of it many times. Not only does it work in the classroom, it works at home, too. The techniques **work**, they build a respectful, productive relationship with the students, and they require little physical energy to carry out. Simple and sensible.

The fifth edition of this fine book has now been published however it is still not yet available from Amazon.com

Most of our knowledge of railroads comes from either seeing them as they pass in their multi-hued glory, or in memories generated from films of steam belching locomotives huffing and chugging their way across the countryside. Unless we care enough to learn more, we really do not understand how they work, why they are organized the way they are, or what all the equipment that we pass by is really for. If we do care to learn more, there is a dearth of information about the railroad. That lack of information is what is addressed by this book. This book could be used as a semester-length entry-level university class textbook - it is that thorough yet high-level. In 22 chapters it addresses all the fundamentals of the railroad especially as railroading is practiced in North America.

Through many examples derived from a fictional railroad that operates in the Northeast U.S., the author leads us through what and how a railroad "ticks". He explains why the rails are ballasted the way they are; what historical accident led to the gauge being determined as 4 ft 8.75 inches; how locomotives are measured and what are the important measurements that the operating departments use; How signals work on the railroad; what kinds of railroad cars are there and what they are used for; the way in which a car goes from point A to point B and how the revenue is shared amongst the many hands that touch that load; and how the railroad itself is organized to bring its benefits to the shipping public.

This is a pretty thorough introduction to the art of railroading and is about as much information as any curious observer may wish to have. Besides people who are interested in railroading (maybe as a career?), I can see this book also being useful to model railroaders who want to model realistic operations; shippers who want to understand what happens when they let go of a cargo, or when they receive it; investors and financiers in railroads; and others.

Being somewhat of a textbook, the reader has to understand that getting through this book will take some work - this is not an easy read at the beach intended to help pass the time! But, attention to the words and the concepts they illuminate will help the reader understand the complex world of railroading.

I used this book to help get up to speed on financing railcars and this book was invaluable in helping me understand the differences in railcar types and the way that railroads work. Would highly recommend it.

John H. Armstrong is probably best known for his books about model railroading. This is not one of those books. This is an introduction to the railroad industry.. It covers such diverse topics as to why goods should or could be moved by rail, locomotives, cars, routing, trackage, passenger service, freight service, organization, accounting, profit and loss, operations and a host of others. It is a book about the industry, not models. I don't think models are mentioned anywhere.

That being said, it is a very useful book for model railroaders who are always seeking to make their layouts as much like the real thing as possible. This book explains why certain things take place in the real world giving modelers an insight as to how to do the same in their created world.

Models aside, this is a great text for anyone who wishes to learn more about this part of the transportation industry.

John Armstrong is both a railroader and a railroad modeler. He wrote "Railroad: What it Is, What it Does" to help modelers create realistic layouts by understanding how a real railroad operates. But it doesn't matter if you're a modeler: whatever your reason, if you want to know how railroads operate, then this book is for you!

Armstrong covers every aspect of railroading. Starting with history as far back as the Roman Empire, he surveys the evolution of rail transport from mining cars on wooden tracks through the "big steel rail". He covers the pros and cons of flat wheels on flanged track versus flanged wheels on flat track, stone ties versus timber ties, steel rails versus iron rails, and all of the engineering issues that go into building a stable, long-lasting track--and that's just in the first few chapters.

From there he explains the economic issues that go into deciding where to run the track, how to route the trains, and everything that goes into establishing a railroad operation.

Finally he covers all the details: how a consist is put together; the various cars and their construction; the railroad workers and their various jobs.

This is one of the few books that leaves me feeling like I know all about the subject. It's incredible how he packs so much knowledge into these few pages! He obviously knows, and loves, his subject. And he writes with a storyteller's flair, so it's more like a novel than a text--I was sorry when it was finished!

Do yourself a favor. If you have any interest in trains whatsoever, get this book. You'll read it more than once.

Are you a storyteller? Do you enjoy hearing stories? Are you even AWARE of the stories around you? This is an insightful and entertaining work of art. I cannot recommend it enough. The authors move you through 7 principles of Jesus' communication, taking you to a deeper level of what it means to truly communicate, to be authentic in the way you lead your life and empathize with those around you.

This book will resonate with the modern reader from its real life examples and glimpses into the lives of your authors (and you may even be surprised at how often you have been in similar situations...buzz buzz). Erik and Jedd weave together intricate stories from the past, the Bible, popular culture and modern life, painting a glorious picture of Christ's love, and how we too can learn to communicate like Christ in our every day life. Communication is about so much more than the words you use; it's about the manner in which you live your life. Get this book, you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you will be amazed by the power of communication. What are you communicating?

I was not as pleased with this work as most of the other reviewers. The principles are good. Their seven principles are certainly needed for communicators in every arena.

I certainly like the end of the chapter summaries that enabled the reader to "Take it with you." The principles are solid.

However, I found the writing a bit odd. It felt as though they slipped into some false-voice "storytelling" mode. It just didn't feel like a natural flow to the chapters. The chapters were filled with illustration after illustration that seemed to distract more than help this reader's understanding. I felt the book could have been more powerful had they eliminated some of the illustrations.

After wading through the storytelling, the principles are valuable and insightful. It just takes a little work to get through their style of "storytelling" and illustration to the meat of the book.

I would, however, recommend it.

GenXers in politics wrestle with the apparent contradiction between the theories of modern mass media persuasion and the simpler communication practices of Jesus. Their discoveries, contained in this book, form a virtual "how to" manual for truly loving people in an over-hyped, over-produced, mass media-saturated age. Medefind and Locksmoe love Jesus, love people, and seek to communicate that love to the world. I recommend this book to anyone with these same goals.
-Matt Robbins
M-Div Student, Fuller Theological Seminary

Very few Christian books have promoted the power and importance of story telling. They may suggest that Jesus used parables and we should too, but they usually fall short in actually teaching you how to do it. While The Revolutionary Communicator does not go into great depth, it does point out the often overlooked type of story - the one line story. This book points out the use of these stories by Christ. For example, chapter five points out, "Rather, He painted the jarring word picture of a man who has a beam poking out of his eye trying to pick a fleck of sawdust from the eye of another." The book calls these word pictures and they are very powerful.

I also liked the way the book starts each chapter by comparing common myths with true realities. I think there is actually some truth in some of the myths, but it's a great way to place the chapters in context. Also, the chapter summaries are excellent. You can read the whole book through, then spend one morning reading the begining comparisons and chapter summaries to really drive the points home.

In fact, I read the book a few months ago. I just took it out the other day and reread the summaries and it all came flooding back. Great book!

Blessings,
Tom Carpenter

This book is great for anyone who has to communicate with people. Christian or not, Jesus, is a great person to model your communication habits after. I bought it because I'm a youth pastor and thought it might help and it has!