H Books

Unlike most open souce projects, PHP has been blessed with many good books. Professional PHP4 is another fine book aimed for the serious PHP developer venturing to add multimedia.

There is a short refresher on PHP followed by PHP Multimedia installation. Then it gets into the nitty-gritty stuff of making it work.

I found the case studies towards the end of the book particularly helpful in mapping out a solution action plan.

Please let me know if you find this review helpful. Thanks.

This book is a great tutorial/reference for programming with PHP's multimedia libraries. It covers topics such as GD(image manipulation) ming (dynamic flash generation) and pdflib(dynamic PDF generation).

The book was written very well and I only noticed one small type error. There is lots of information and a function reference in the appendix.

I bought this book a fortnight back and i have
amazingly learned more than i expected.The 4 case
studies in the book are amazing - I esp enjoyed working
on the coffee shop finder app and got everything working
in a zap.I recommend this book to the developer
fraternity that wants to realise the true power
behind PHPs extension libraries (multimedia).
And oh! yeah this is my first WROX read that had
color pages in it:)

Professional PHP4 Multimedia Programming is an extremely handy book to have on your bookshelf, even if (and possibly especially if) you don't design and implement multimedia applications with PHP all the time. Within hours of getting the book, I realized that I could use PHP as a commandline scripting language to solve several problems. I've used it as a reference several times since, even though I do NOT consider myself a PHP Multimedia Applications developer.

The book is organized nicely. As a "Professional" book, it assumes a decent understanding of PHP. This assumption saves you lots of time and unnecessary hand holding. There is a brief PHP refresher chapter for those who aren't quite as familiar with PHP as necessary, but after that refresher chapter, you're expected to understand things. You bought this book (or will, anyway) because you already know how to program in PHP but are not familiar with the various multimedia extensions.

The next several chapters each dedicate themselves to a specific extension concept: Ming, Ming with ActionScript, GD, ImageMagick, PDFLib, and FDF.

Each chapter gives an overview of the library, it's uses and limitations, and gives lots of example source code giving examples of all the functions in an extension and how they are used together.

The next few chapters are full-fledged application case studies. Though you may not agree with the authors' coding styles, these case studies walk you through (from start to finish) several different applications to show you how the libraries can be used within the scope of a larger PHP application, not just example toy scripts.

Following the case studies are several appendices. Each appendix is a language reference for a multimedia extension. Most of the information in the appendices is found online in the PHP manual, and I, for one, find it more convenient to look it up there, but having it in the book is a nice bonus.

Another wonderful addition is a full-color screenshots gallery index, which shows you what various scripts from within the chapters should look like when run. This is great for two reasons: 1) You can "check your work" as you write the applications and sample code in the book, and 2) You can see the results of functions in the book while reading it away from the computer.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about writing even just ONE application in PHP that will manipulate any supported multimedia (Shockwave, images, PDF/FDF, etc.) The time you save by having this book as a companion will more than pay for the cost of the book.

Professional PHP4 Multimedia Programming is a unique book in the midst of all other PHP books. No other book aims to cover the topics that this one does. If you are a PHP developer looking to expand you knowledge and integrate the multimedia capabilities of PHP into your applications, then this is the book for you.

The goal of this book is to introduce the concepts and techniques needed to produce dynamic multimedia content. The extensions covered are Ming, GD, ImageMagick, PDF, and FDF. Each technology is thoroughly explained from installation through example use. A case study is then given to go into further detail on the use of each extension.

I especially enjoyed the fact that they provided installation instructions for these extensions. One of the biggest hurdles people have with using Ming, GD, and the others is the installation process. Once someone gets past that stage they can at least experiment with how the extension works. It can be very frustrating when you can't even get something installed. Hopefully this book will help ease some of that frustration.

The case studies used by the authors are superb. These are real would applications that people want to create every day! They include a headline grabber with Ming, a mobile web coffee shop finder with GD, an image gallery using ImageMagick, and a PDF template system. Each one of these case studies is designed to get you thinking. Sure, they you the code needed for the application, but they also show you how the design process works and detail possible enhancements.

The one thing I found lacking in this text was some type of common problems section. Invariably, people are going to have difficulties when it comes to installation or use of these extensions. A simple google search will show the abundance of problems related to these technologies. A small chapter, or a section in each chapter, detailing some of the most common problems encountered, with their fixes, would have been great.

Overall, this book is great. If you are looking to develop multimedia applications in PHP, it is a must have.

First published in 1937, Tasha Tudor's "Pumpkin Moonshine" still has a timeless innocence and appeal. It is a delightfully simple story of a little girl on a farm who picks a pumpkin and rolls it downhill to where she can make it into a jack-o-lantern (or a "moonshine," as they apparently called them in New England, way back when...) A simple story made magical with clean storytelling and wonderful art. (ReadThatAgain)

If you've never carved a "Pumpkin Moonshine" you've missed a wonderful part of Halloween. As a little girl, Tasha Tudors delightful story was a favorite of mine. My children grew up carving pumpkins, not into jack-o-lanterns, but into Pumpkin Moonshines. The "grands" now enjoy grandmothers love for the season and the wonderful "Pumpkin Moonshine" with the re-release of this beautiful little book to be loved by all.

This is a primary book set in pre-1900s Connecticut. The lovely little story could prompt discussion about holiday traditions and life on the farm in the US. The illustrations provide an amusing and exciting crescendo. The teacher may want to use this book around Halloween as a seasonal story about scaring people, which is not a scary book at all. The book could prompt talk about what life in the US was like during earlier periods: When did this story take place? How can you tell? How was Halloween different then?

Through the years I have purchased many Tasha Tudor books for family and friends; all have deserved a FIVE STAR rating as far as I am concerned. Her delightful illustrations have been outstanding and reflect the story content almost "word-for-word".
She is a MUST on our book shelf!

My mother read this book to me as a child. It was out of print for a while, but this new printing is excellent. The illustrations (same as orginal version) are superb and the text is quaint but clever enough to keep the attention of small kids or new readers. Highly recommended for Halloween or year round.

...it contains all the basics the beginner needs to start and offers enough of the advanced stuff to make you ready to work on any academic paper about MRI, MRS, DTI & fMRI after you have finished it.

Great book!

All review books,whether blue,yellow or green are good.The way I did it to prepare me for the MRI test: MIC course,any good cross sectional anatomy book & all the colorful review books you can find.

I used the first ed. of this book to study for my MR registry exam & found it most helpful in understanding pulse sequences & MRI physics. The author(s) answer the questions in concise, easy to understand jargon that won't confuse the student, yet is technical enough for experienced technologist's to benefit. The second ed. is a continuation of this tried & true method of teaching & I most certainly would recommend this book, especially for anyone that is just learning MRI or getting ready to sit for the registry exam.
Greg Wassenberg, MSRS, RT(R)(N)(MR)
MRI Technologist

Most excellent book. If you are looking for an easy MR book to read with a good format, this is the book for you. It contains many answer to MR questions you have and never dare asking. I went thru many MR books, this is by far my favorite, I use it all the time. Would highly recommend it.

A great resource for anyone working in MRI!!

This is an absolutely superb book, comprised of recollections of the Jim Crow years in the form of oral histories. It can be read through, or picked up at any part. There is an appropriate amount of historical introduction to each chapter.
This material needs to be read, and remembered. There was a long time in our history when, although there was no more slavery, African Americans were treated as a separate serf class, under constant pressures and reminders of their lower status. Whites used pervasive legal and social downward pressures to keep African Americans out of an equal education, and equal access to public facilities, much less the right to equal jobs and the right to vote -- and then claimed that African Americans' lack of achievement was a racial fault. If an African American violated one of the many social taboos, the sanctions ranged from a beating, to loss of job, and even being lynched.
While whites benefited from Jim Crow, the whites, also, were trapped in the system. They were also forced to abide by legal segregation, and were subject to social pressure if they were too liberal (being called "n* lover," "white n*," etc.).
What led to the mindset that the end of slavery should lead to continued legal and social oppression of African Americans? It was part of white American culture. Lincoln himself said that he was not "in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry.... [T]here must be the position of superior and inferior. I am as much as any other man in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." In 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes traded the end of southern post-war Reconstruction for the electoral votes he needed to win the presidency. Southern states then were free to institute the Jim Crow system.
I believe we are more subject to peer pressure than we would like to believe. Although reviewer McInerney asserts that "no civilized person" would benefit from Jim Crow, I feel many otherwise-good people were trapped and/or blinded by their own interests and surroundings. When allowed, and even encouraged, their evil side showed itself. On this topic, see John Griffin's _Black Like Me_, on the different faces that whites showed to other whites, and to African Americans.
While we are certain that we wouldn't go back to that system, we shouldn't be so sure that we, also, wouldn't be trapped by it if we were born into it. Consider that Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy (to a large extent) didn't take effective action to end segregation.
This book is excellent. Those dreadful and shameful times -- and the vestiges which still continue -- must not be forgotten.

Any illusions about the freedom and equality that were alleged to have been given to African Americans in this country following the Civil War were just that, illusions. The reality of America's version of Apartheid was legitimized in 1896 in the United States Supreme Court with the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson. When the de-facto segregation that Plessy allowed was added to the de jure laws that followed, whatever emancipation had been promised was firmly repudiated. It is even legitimate to go back to 1877 when Rutherford B. Hayes and his party sold out, and swapped the presidency for the removal of federal troops from the south.

"Remembering Jim Crow", is a brilliant collection of first hand accounts of life under Jim Crow by those who were victimized by its laws. A large cast collected these verbal accounts over several years, and they accomplished no less than the preservation of a sinister part of this country's history. A time that W.E.B. Dubois characterized as, "living behind the veil". Combined with the book, "At The Hands Of Person's Unknown", which I commented extensively on, these two books, and if you choose the accompanying CD of the interviews, provides a wide, if horrific view of these eight decades.

These testimonies are also notable for the speakers who identify by name the people and families that victimized them. This is not ancient history that many would like to forget. These people who survived and speak of Jim Crow are alive, and so a presumption that their tormentors are alive is reasonable. The end of the book includes portions of a documentary that was made as part of this project with National Public Radio. Happily some of the whites that were interviewed in Iberia Perish in Louisiana remember and look with regret on what they did and did not do. Their willingness to speak on the record is admirable. But lest anyone think that all is solved there are also people who went on the record bemoaning their never having enjoyed the privileges that Jim Crow gave whites. A man named Barrow expressed himself thusly, "That was awful nice, you know, you'd go hunting, "Boy clean those ducks", you know, "Skin that dear", uh, "Shine my shoes". I believe I could have gone for that. Yeah I think you could have too".

No Mr. Barrow, no civilized individual from any state could, "have gone for that". However I am sure that many appreciate your confirmation that even now, ignorance, arrogance, and racism are alive and well.

This is an interesting angle to present a sad era in America's history. This book does not give a history book type of fact presentation, it presents the facts from the people who actually experienced it.

This is a vital book if for only one reason, so that the children born after this era know what it was like so it is never repeated.

I enjoyed the oral history that is presentated and I would recommend this book if you want a greater understanding of this time.

REMEMBERING JIM CROW is a colletion of first hand accounts of life in the Jim Crow south. The stories are compelling and at the same time sad.

The stories create the atmosphere that one is sitting in one of the elderly story tellers living room listening to them.

This book is especially worthwhile for non-African-Amercians readers, because virtually all African-Americans that have roots in the south, know these stories all too well.

This slipcased book and 2-cd set supplements the written word with oral history, gathering the voices of men and women who were firsthand witnesses to segregation in the south. Stories by men and women from all walks of life reveal how blacks fought against the system, built communities, and ran businesses in a society which denied them basic rights. Remembering Jim Crow offers the reader a comprehensive, involving, highly recommended presentation.

This was a great book. I loved all the extended eyewitness accounts to what was happening during certai revivals. You learn about the Reformed revivalists Samuel Davies, Archibald Alexander, and Timothy Dwight at Yale University.

You learn about the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky, both the good and the emotional excesses. You will also learn about the years of the 2nd Great Awakening.

Murray seems to be skeptical of the reliability of Charles' Finney's memoirs. He also is quick to point out that Finney departed from Reformed theology early on and that he denied original sin. He points out that Finney viewed revivals as manmade productions rather than as miraculous manifestations of the Spirit.

There is also an appendix where Murray decries the lack of information about revivals in the deep south of the United States.

I also liked the discussion of the 1857-1858 New York revivals. I did feel that there could have been more coverage given to this particular revival, and how it affected many urban centers in the nation prior to the Civil War.

But this book should definitely be in the shelf of Christians interested in American church history.

Murray writes in his conclusion, "In the end, while evangelicalism was seeking to guard faith in Scripture, it was her readiness to be impressed by pragmatic arguments, and by alleged success, by quantity rather than quality, that did so much to deprive her of true, authority and strength" (p 383). Murray, in his book Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism, reviews the history of evangelical Christianity between 1750 and 1858. This book is a must read for contemporary Christian leaders. Books on self-help, life coaching/coaches, ten-steps to church growth, and leadership styles are pushed upon pastors to read by those in church leadership, as well as promoted by our consumeric Christian marketers. But now of these books will help the minister to think theologically about their place in history. Nor, will such populist books that promote our well-being expose the flaws and fallibility of current market-driven church growth and church life. Murray helps us to think logically and reasonably about how we have come to the place in the Christian ministry where pragmatism and utilitarian thinking is the foundation for church life and ministry. He does not cover the period between 1859 and 2007, but Revival & Revivalism will portray the foundation for much of contemporary evangelicalism. Murray writes, "Our understanding of God's ways in history is far too fallible to make providence the test of what is truth." As Church life here in America is becoming more and more a shadow of American life, promoted through American entrepreneurialism and capitalisms, and gained through marketing and business praxis, it would be good for the American evangelical pastor to understand his or her roots in the history of evangelicalism. Shedding light on our past might help us to see why we are exchanging the foundation of Scripture to determine the life of the church for Americanism and self-help. If church life and thinking theologically matters to you--and it should as a pastor--read this book.



By Chip Anderson, author of Destroying Our Private Cities, Building Our Spiritual Life

This book addresses the good and bad of the awakenings and revivals that have shaped the Christian culture, as well as the culture of the US in general. Murray does a great job of laying out the history of the revivals (both genuine and false) and shows us principles to avoid false revivals in the future.

One of the most startling observations is found in the discussions of the results of false revivals on the New England colonies (he calls them "the Burned Over region." The sad part is that as you read you see that the modern church is making some of the same mistakes.

This is an important book, and I believe every church leader needs to read it.
To God All Glory!

I came across this book providentually on my Pastors coffee table waiting for a ride to a Church we were to visit. The title has caught my eye since I had done some study in American religious history. I was familiar with the split Charles Finney had caused in American Evangelism...but not on the details. When I started the book...I knew I had to get my own copy.
It is the best treatment of the subject...focusing on the Old Method....the cultural changes in America..the rise of New Divinity and the development of the New Method's.
The weakness of the book is with not dealing with how "unionism"... the cooperation of Calvinist Presbyterians and Baptist with Arminian Episcopalians, Free-will Baptist and Methodist in their Churches...he calls "catholicity of spirit" lead to the overthrow of Calvinism that was effective in bringing in true revival by focusing on preaching the Word and letting the Holy Spirit do His work upon the hearts of the unregenerated. This opened the door for Revivalism.
Finney was not the fountain of the New Methods....but he was the most influentual to implement them and to assume any questioning of the methods as "quenching the Holy Spirit."

It will get you started on studying more on American Christian History

Dr. Iain Murray is one of my favorite authors. His writings are engaging and enlightening. I have not found a work of his yet that was not well researched and documented. This work is no different.

In this work Dr. Murray takes a look at modern revival movements and modern evangelism through an historical analysis of where the revival movement begin in the United States in the early 1800's. Dr. Murray leaves no stone unturned in his examine. He marks his tracks well as he dives into the lives of men who did not know that their methods of "revival" would alter American Christianity for the worst. Today, we who stand for the truth of Scripture are still having to deal with their incorrect revival methods.

For those interested in studying revivals and why modern American evangelism is not working without a the truth of Scripture, this is a classic work to study.

It is a great book. I used it for building a covered porch and found it indispensable.

Well when i got the book i was amazed on the amount of diffrent Roof Framing situations that are in it . Stuff in this book not to many people know how to do. Even if i just use the book once to refer to the 20 i spent on it was worth it ... If you are Into cutting rafters and find the Common Gables and Hips fun to do then you would love this ....

This is the best book currently available on roof cutting. It is enhanced through the authors extensive experience and inspirational passion for his craft. It is written for those who already have an understanding of framing and would like to grow in their knowledge. The layout makes it an easy to use quick reference guide for the particular aspects one might wish to inform themselves about on any given day.
I was impressed and encouraged by Will Holladay after purchasing his book. He showed me the joy, the satisfaction, and the excellence that can be achieved by doing what one was created to do.

Very detailed with corresponding illustrations. My favorite construction book out of 10. Covers all variations of complex rafter roofs. Also check out Roof Framer's bible for tables and corresponding math if u hate those construction calculators.

This book really helped me work through some issues I was having with cutting
a complex roof. I don't know if I could have done it otherwise. Beginning framers would also benefit from the book as it offers some advice in that area as well. Be sure you get the Journal of Light Construction edition NOT the edition published by Craftsman Book Company. I don't think there is a better book for advanced roof cutters.

Running with the Horses is a great examination of the book of Jeremiah. I love how the author applies it to present day Christianity. Each page will challenge you and help you to capture what this sometimes puzzling book is about. Give it a chance. It's a great pick for a reading group.

Love this book that I'm reading. I've never completed reading Jeremiah straight from the Bible cos I find it very heavy stuff. But after reading Run with The Horses, I'm beginning to appreciate this weeping prophet. I'm still mulling over those chapters that I've read and look forward to turning the pages still. Very sobering stuff in there for personal reflection. You can't ignore what you see/realise in yourself.

In this study of the life of Jeremiah the prophet we come to see how those who seek to serve the Lord do not have it easy by any means, but the troubles we encounter actually make us more passionate and purposeful and we become all the richer in the process. One of my favorite parts is on page 24 where he says, "Life is a continuous exploration of ever more reality. Life is a constant battle against everyone and anything that corrupts or diminishes that reality." Chapter 7 is especially insightful as it relates to the church today. He says, "What is wrong is to evaluate the worth of words and deeds by their popularity. What is scandalous is to approve only what is applauded. What is disastrous is to assume that only the celebrated is genuine." How true! One can't help but see the similarity of the priest Passhur in Jeremiah's day to the leader of the largest church in the United States today when you read: "Everyone loved to hear him: he was positive, affirmative, confident. He had the ability to draw out the best from everything. He was able to search the Scriptures and find texts that made the darkest days bright." I had to look at the front and see when this book was written. I thought for sure it had to be written in the 2000s, but it was 1983.

What do you do when times get tough? When life gets gritty? When the pressures of life squeeze you pencil-thin? Do you give up, give in, and despair? Or do you rise above the difficulties and uncertainties with faith and confidence? In "Run With the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best," Eugene Peterson takes us through the life of the prohpet Jeremiah and shows us how we can live adventurously, courageously, and excellently despite the challenges we will inevitably face.

"Run With the Horses" is not so much a commentary on the book of Jeremiah as it is a meditation on the life of Jeremiah. Though Peterson does move us chronologically through Jeremiah's life, he chooses only certain "episodes" or "situations" to discuss. Peterson ties his meditations on the life of Jeremiah to our lives as Christians, covering such topics as:

* Our identities as human beings with a definitive purpose.
* How we can be misled through deceptive teachings and words.
* How our choices can twart God's purposes for us.
* The importance of being honest and vulnerable before God.
* The significance of persistence and perseverance when enduring life's challenges.
* How God's ways and purposes often seem to contradict what we see and know from the world.

In essence, "Run With the Horses" is a meditation on the anatomy of a life of faith--a risky endeavor that is not for the faint of heart. Personally, I was more challenged and encouraged by this book than any other book I have read in recent memory. Highly recommended.

Ancient Jeremiah as personal trainer? He of the many trials and tantrums?

Revisited via Eugene Peterson's knowledge and sensibilities, the Old Testament prophet comes alive; he compels present-day readers to "run the race." Jeremiah's words and works crackle with passion: visible, audible, and absorbable. You want to be like him--but luckier.

As relevant today as when first published, Run With The Horses is a superb merger of scholarship, story, and style. Personal and eloquent, Peterson's observations and exhortations on postmodern culture mirror the ancient seer's: He challenges our assumptions, assuages our fears, and cheers our God-given aspirations.

Brief selections from a wide range of writers enhance each thought-provoking chapter, and extensive End Notes point the way to further reading. If in doubt about an older book still being relevant, note the subtitle: The Quest for Life at Its Best.

Based on his forty year career as a teacher, administrator, and consultant for private schools, Stephen Davenport has crafted his debut, Saving Miss Oliver's. Subtitled "a novel of leadership, loyalty, and change," the novel chronicles one tumultuous year in the history of a small all-girls school. What sets Saving Miss Oliver's apart from other school novels is that Davenport focuses not just on inner workings of the school. He also turns his lens on two of Miss Oliver's longtime teachers, exploring a marriage that is just as vulnerable that year as the school itself.

In the midst of a fiscal crisis the board of Miss Oliver's School for Girls realizes that it is time for change. The school community, however, is resistant, especially when the first sign of that change is the dismissal of longtime headmistress Marjorie Boyd. The new head of school, Fred Kindler, is set an impossible task. He's to bolster enrollment and decrease the school's deficit with virtually no assistance from teachers, alumnae, or students, all of whom despise him for taking the post. If Kindler is not successful only two options remain--go co-ed or close--and the community can't decide which is worse.

Francis and Peggy Plummer have been working at Miss Oliver's School for almost as long as they've be married. When Francis's loyalty to Boyd keeps him from helping the new headmaster, the resulting rift between the two grows ever wider as problems long-buried begin to resurface. Peggy becomes determined to help Kindler succeed in his mission, the fate of the school, for her, more important than that of her marriage.

Well-plotted and interesting, Saving Miss Oliver's leaves readers guessing about the future of Miss Oliver's School right until its very end. Additionally Davenport's characters are very realistic; he does not shy away from the failings that make each of them human. In doing so, he drives home the point that real people are the essence of any great school.

While Saving Miss Oliver's is a strong first effort, one slipup betrays Davenport's status as a freshman novelist. While setting the stage for the novel's action, he introduces too many characters at once. Although this is an easy error for a first time author to make, the novel suffers from it as his readers are left disoriented at the outset, trying to sort out the main characters from a score of miscellaneous teachers, board members, alumnae, donors, and students.

My copy of SAVING MISS OLIVER'S arrived a few hours before we set sail for Hawaii, a long awaited holiday. I replaced THE WORLD IS FLAT with it in my bag and, once begun, I couldn't put it down. It was as if this story had a wire attached to my brain, my very soul, my memories.

Stephen Waters, Deering, N.H.

The reader enters Miss Oliver's with the first word. Stephen Davenport's novel is a fascinating look at not only the inner workings of a private girls' school, but also the multiple layers of human motivation. Mr. Davenport deftly invites us to care about his characters as we learn what they think, what they do, and then very cleverly, how others are responding to that thinking and doing. Mr. Davenport writes with integrity as he develops his characters. It seemed clear that he cares deeply for his characters as they struggle through the changes at Miss Oliver's. I loved the way the novel illuminates the assumptions these characters make and how this affects their actions and intentions. It was a fun and fascinating read. As a former trustee of a private (non-boarding) school, I am somewhat familiar with school challenges. And yet, I felt I entered a whole new world in this book. Couldn't put it down.

Even mediocre schools touch people deeply; great schools join themselves to the hearts of students, parents, teachers, and alumni. Love intensifies their passion about everything the school does, sometimes making the school leader's role almost impossibly challenging.

Few novels attempt to capture the challenges of leading a beloved school, and none do so better than "Saving Miss Oliver's." Leaders of colleges, churches, art museums, and other much-loved institutions will resonate with Fred Kindler's difficulties as he becomes the first male head of a boarding school for girls. He follows a charismatic leader whose long tenure led Miss Oliver's to educational excellence and fiscal peril.

"Saving Miss Oliver's" combines the usual novelistic virtues--convincing characters, artful language, and an intriguing plot--with a grasp of organizational dynamics and the challenges of leadership that makes it a rare treat for readers who are also leaders.

Dan Hotchkiss, senior consultant
The Alban Institute

For those of us who understand adolescence to be a critical time of life and who have known influential teachers, this book lets slip the lessons gained from our experiences: that we learn best through relationships, that high school often prepares us in unexpected ways for our lives -- and that we read fiction to begin to get at the truth.

Woven through "Saving Miss Oliver's" is homage to teachers and the art of teaching. Almost exactly in the middle of the story, and thus at its core, is the extended scene in which Francis Plummer teaches Robert Frost's "Home Burial" to a class of ninth grade girls. It is a revelation of the passion, dedication and talent that mark great teachers. At last a writer is showing these men and women, real heroes, at their actual work.

Davenport's ability to draw us into the lives of his characters underscores his talent of hitting the right notes in the lessons we draw from both them and him.

The author provides few hints that he has studied the basis for his beliefs Certainly, he has thought about how to defend public religious expression. Understandably, he talks about his faith. At the same time, he claims those disagreeing with his belief are advancing their "faith" in so doing. (In this context he borrows the phrase..."the church of the left"... from the rather superficial essays of Dr. Stan Kurtz).

He consistently toys with straw man constructions in this polemic without admitting his faith is that of one hoping for substance unseen. It is not likely this hope will ever be commonly shared by all of humanity.

It is rather interesting to see him start asserting matters of "proof" when engaging a fellow law school student who is gay. Surely, proof is hard come by and an unlikely companion when making such traditional assertions of faith. Many passages in this book begin with the author being "stunned" or being "shocked" at what he observes. This rightly characterizes the emotional basis for both his convictions and the religious ideas he endorses.

Impressionable children weeping their way into a church auditorium fully reveals how dramatically emotional is so much of the faith he espouses. And yet he attempts to portray liberal opponents as similarly locked in into a faith while not recognizing... much of their profound distrust of what he presents as that faith... is based on antagonism to the widely seen religious emotional extremism that he actually describes. He finds grace in such experiences while others of us recoil at the Old Time Religion that drags sinners down the aisle to the "mourners bench."

Emotion may be natural to the human condition but as the basis of religious zeal it has proven to be dangerous throughout history. Such strong emotional responses usually exclude rational and calm discourse. The author paints emotional palettes to advance his ideas while apparently thinking that emotion validates his arguments. A better understanding is that emotion is the basis and content of the religious ideas he celebrates. Emotion validates little or nothing in this context.

Typically, it crowds out facts. Of course, certitude characterizes such intense emotion. Liberals cannot be demonized just because they lack such emotional certainty and such can hardly be described as a "faith". Learning greatly tempers certainty while emotional intensity fosters rigidity. Neither may rise to a "worldview!" Ambiguity may be the nature of the cosmos and is, of course, no friend to rigid, inflexible belief systems. Much more than "civil rights" seems to be involved here. Neither can the issues be simplified as "secular" liberalism versus straight- arrow religious faith. The presence of emotion excludes problem solving. The greater the emotion the less problem solving will occur.

Religious communities that define faith and practice it in terms of emotion are not likely to problem solve. More importantly their emotional intensity creates barriers with others in the larger community who might be willing to problem solve. This is not a matter of a "liberal" faith standing in hard headed opposition to simple religious folk. It is a matter of understanding the lessons of history where zealotry rages.

A second matter needs mention. Those, the author champions and has great affection for, those who deny or distort what we have come to understand about human beings. One might say that the worldview he espouses is a crippled and inadequate view of humanity. The cultural split he alludes to is truly great. His co-religionists continue to insist their worldview is the only accurate view, as it was authored by divinity. No values outside of this worldview can be recognized nor celebrated. This is the magical thinking that is so often considered to be the remarkable religiosity of Americans.

Supportive of the contention that the faith being discussed here is of extreme emotional intensity is this: the constant conditioning of church members with song, prayer, sermon, testimony is not seen as conditioning. In fact, the very idea, if put to religious folk, would be rejected as offensive. Somehow the well-understood conditioning that occurs to all of us at work, at home and in school never happens at church. This is a denial of the first order that thoughtful people, liberal or not, should not ignore. Such a lack of insight should make every thoughtful person wary of many religious affiliations.

The limitations of the author's views are obvious. What may be less obvious is that some religious people seem bent on turning every courthouse, every stadium, every school, every government facility, even private work spaces, into a church. This "handbook" may well help. Some of his more cautious and carefully weighed thoughts may pass unnoticed. They are worth reading as they reveal some underlying conflicts felt by the author. There are signs here that if Americans don't grant this "right" to "share"... as a civil right... religious people will opt out as many are doing.

Does "share" signal a strategy to make converts of the entire majority? Can a mere 8 percent of the population who are evangelicals accomplish this? Whatever the goals, there is no civil right that can protect us from stupidity whether it be from school administrators in Chelmsford , Massachusetts or town administrators in Georgetown, Kentucky.

There was a time when religious folk, the church, were fully in charge...of everything. Do we wish to return to that time...the Middle Ages? Civil rights posed no problem. Sacred law was the measure, the only measure, for all matters.

Mr. French seems to carefully weigh these considerations in his argument especially as a minority religionist, but when push comes to shove, will he attempt to do more than just "share" his faith? Does he not understand there would be no church today, as we understand it, without the political power of a Constantine and others?

Just maybe, as the foundations of faith continue to quake, with faith-based emotion proving inadequate to cope with the modern age, the author will wish government had picked a faith for the state...his!

The author may well be a master of arms in the "culture wars." The reader will find the subtext of this book is that the good and wise are not just being discriminated against but seriously persecuted. As those of his faith seem to portrayed as without blemish or rancor, only an invalid opposing "faith" of distorted origins can explain such negative treatment. It is just possible that more cases could be added to those discussed by the author here.

Unfortunately, as all members of his faith have not been uniformly kind, charitable and loving to others, the unkind feelings generated in others towards them will not abate. Was it not written, somewhere, that one should be mindful "...of the beam in one's own eye..."? While all citizens should have recourse to the law, one might ask what marks authentic faith? Is government to protect all those "...persecuted for righteousness sake..."? Does this stance reflect the early days of this faith?

One last comment. The author discusses the Middle School and homosexuality on pages 52-53. He hesitates to affirm the incident he cites is wide spread. He says without crisply delineating "secular" the following, "Because the content of the program was 'secular,' it was legally acceptable for government officials to use government funds to promote behavior incompatible with evangelical Christianity."

This assertion is nothing short of incredible. How can a Harvard trained consitutional specialist begin to suggest government test all its actions against what evangelicals, Mormons, Moonies, Jehovah Witnesses, Scientologists or any other "recognized" religion deem "behavior incompatible?" Please Mr. French, let's not go there! Maybe this is evidence that we should shear Samson's locks, in a literary sense, lest he pull the temple down on us all?

This is a remarkable and courageous book by a very talented student of law, religion, and liberty. There are not many evangelical Christians who would write such a blunt and forceful plea to an audience that, as he has admitted, has not always been uniformly tolerant of those on the other side of the religious and cultural divide. His fundamental point is that Christians must be given equal rights in the public square, to defend their beliefs and to attempt to convince others to see the light as they have seen it. But part of the pact must involve Christians' acceptance of the notion that the government cannot favor their positions any more than it can discriminate against them. David French is as important to liberty as he is to religion. Harvey A. Silverglate, Cambridge, MA

I found this book to be very enlightening on the issues and hurdles facing many of our Christian brothers today. This book serves as a wake-up call to those of us who may have become lethargic and lazy in our faith. I believe you will find "A Season for Justice" to be highly educational and inspirational.

This book is very educational, but the tone of the book is conversational and approachable. The author talks about religious freedom issues in quite interesting and remarkably innovative ways. I have been a Christian all my life, have heard the arguments from the pulpit about how we need to "take our country back" from those who try to relegate Christianity to the back rooms and away from public life. I always agreed to some extent, but never felt empowered because I didn't understand HOW to do that precisely. This book explains the HOW. If you are remotely interested in American culture and Christianity's place in that culture, this book's for you. If you wonder how September 11th changed things in America's spiritual/political climate, this book's for you. I highly recommend the purchase of A Season for Justice. It will change the way you think about the "culture wars," and it will give you courage to stand up in the name of Christ to actually fight these battles.

In A Season For Justice: Defending The Rights Of The Christian Home, Church, And School, David French (Counsel for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship's Religious Freedom Crisis Team) brings to bear his many years of litigious expertise and experience as a courtroom defender of the rights and constitutional freedoms of the Christian community. French traces how Christians have fought for their legal rights through the use of anecdotal stories, case studies, and personal accounts illustrating and showcasing battles to preserve the basic right to share gospel teaching in their churches, schools, and workplaces. A Season For Justice is informed and strongly recommended reading for those concerned with the freedom of religion, and the relationship of Church and State, within the American constitutional framework.

This is a fun and easy read for any fan of the women's game, centered around the pivotal 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning team, which in many ways marked a turning point in establishing the foundation upon which the modern game is built.

But not only does this book offer a wonderful historical perspective, and some great stories and inside anecdotes on many top players past and present, it also provides insight into the mind of one of the college game's top coaches.

Even for those close to Stanford basketball, Tara Vanderveer is a very private inividual. That's why I found this book especially helpful in providing a better understanding of her personal history, philosophy toward the game, how she feels it should be played, and how that all filters down to the teams she puts on the floor today.

Because Tara is often softspoken in public and not one to actively seek the limelight or TV cameras like some of the other big names in her profession, there may be a tendency by some to think she is more of a hands-off coach. And despite the occasional glare from the sideline, a calm and quiet presence. Nothing could be further from the truth. This book does a good job of uncovering the intensity that boils deep inside and her unbending desire to win.

This is a really inspirational book for those who care about womens' basketball. I had a really hard time putting it down. You feel as if you are part of the U.S. Olympic Team, and were there to witness the trials and tribulations of their road to Gold. Great book for those who play basketball or enjoy it. (Especially if you're female!!) I think I will start reading the book from the beginning again tomorrow. It also meant more to me then maybe someone else because I have been to Tara's Camps and been able to interact with Jennifer Azzi and Katy Steding, and other players as well. It is totally my favorite book ever!

I confess that I have been a fan of Tara Vanderveer for nearly 10 years. I think I understand that basketball is a very major part of her life. She likes Bob Knight, sheesh. This book was a very easy read even though you already know how it will end. When you finish the book you might feel like you want to see if the players saw everything the same way. Well, this is her point of view.

I thoroughly enjoyed this in-depth view of Tara's work with the Women's National (Olympic) team of 1996. The team was a masterpiece, and being able to see it thru the eyes of its coach was really something special. It gave me great insight into Tara and her drive and dedication to the sport and to the team. A great book!!

Tara Vanderveer is the author of the inspiring autobiography Shooting form the Outside.  In this autobiography, Tara Vanderveer discusses the challenges and obstacles that she must overcome into to reach her goal of winning the gold medal.  The autobiography discusses the hardships, conflicts, and problems that the team faces throughout the year and shows how teamwork can overcome anything.
This novel is pretty much an overview of the Women's Basketball team throughout their Olympic season.  The novel starts out with Tara Vanderveer talking about her child hood days and how she developed a love for the game.  She talks about how she use to be a mascot for the school, used to write down every new play she heard in a notebook, and how she went and watched the men's basketball team to learn any new play on offense or defense she could pick up.  The story then proceeds to Coach Vanderveer discussing her thoughts and concerns for the year that lay ahead of the eleven woman that have been selected as the national team.  She talks about her past failures like the 1994 World Games that have pushed her and motivated her to win the gold medal.  She promised that the embarrassment and disgrace that she felt from the World Games will never happen again.  One can easily feel the strong determination and motivation that Coach Vanderveer feels, and how she uses this as an ally and works the team harder than they have ever been worked before. 
This book was undoubtedly worth reading from my point of view.  This book taught me information about Title IX that I had previously never even heard about.  The book showed me the true struggle that a woman must face and has taught me a sense of respect for woman who have succeeded in the past. 
One issue the book brings up is that woman are not given enough opportunity to succeed in life.  A woman's determination and motivation can easily be destroyed or brought down by the cruelness and unfairness of discrimination towards woman.  Therefore, since woman can do all jobs just as productively as men, the book suggests that woman should be given fair and equal treatment and equal opportunities to men. 
In conclusion, Shooting from the Outside is an excellent book that teachers lessons and values that should be known and followed by all of society.  The story teachers discrimination is pointless and by not allowing woman to perform to their full capacity we are truly ruining our own opportunities to further succeed in life.