P Books

The dictionary that's used by many patent attorneys, and should be used by every science writer/editor.

The "McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms" is famous for its broad-spectrum coverage. Its soul is general science; and its audience is anybody who has any business with any science: biological, chemical, or physical. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or even a consultant, this unabridged lexicon lets you discover scientific terms, methods and applications in a very simple way. It is overflowing with references and definitions.
And, for the mobile professional, who may find it heavy to lug around, it is available on CD-ROM. The prices of both the text and its CD version are not out-of-reach. Either of the two is dependable.

The dictionary, as I expected, is excellent. I can easily and directly grasp the clear concept of meanings without imaging in my mother tongue, Japanese. Each explanation with the technical field is very concise and accurate. I believe that the dictionary helps me to perfectly understand the target words, for translating from English to Japanese, equivalent to those of an educated English speaker. Then, this will automatically make my task much easier.
Hopefully, I will also be able to obtain CD-ROM, which can be installed in my computer, Windows ME/MS-Word, for accelerating my job.

The dictionary, as I expected, is excellent. I can easily and directly grasp the clear concept of meanings without imaging in my mother tongue, Japanese. Each explanation with the technical field is very concise and accurate. I believe that the dictionary helps me to perfectly understand the target words, during translating from English to Japanese, equivalent to that of an educated English speaker. Then, this will automatically make my task much easier. Hopefully, I also will be able to obtain CD-ROM, which can be installed in my computer, Windows ME/MS-Word, for accelerating my job.

The more I use this dictionary, the more I come to like it. It's handy to have a specific dictionary for scientific and technical terms, and I feel more complete with this by my side. The coverage is comprehensive, the layout is clean and easy to read, and the added illustrations are a nice touch.

I would also recommend the McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science & Technology as a nice supplement.

In this book, the hypochondriac genius of movies, radio, television, and the concert stage delivers all the neurotic humor expected. But the author, a talented writer as well as one of the great pianists of the 20th century, also succeeds at conveying the ambience of the artistic world of the 1920s through 1950s. His insights about his contemporaries, including celebrated conductors, musicians, composers, and actors, are fascinating.

Luckily found this among my mother's books, the title caught my eye. When asked about it, my mother laughed softly. I thought, if it can make her laugh it must be funny; well it's the best humor, and I turned to a page and busted out laughing. It's more than that. I read the one I bought from time to time, and there is always a point of feeling I'm in the belly of a beast. Such integrity I'd never known, and never felt I could fit in this world 'til reading "Memoirs of an Amnesiac".

My son had to explain (to my wife) the joke behind the title. An amnesiac can't remember and a memoir is a written record of memories. Hence, a contradiction, but still a great title and an emblematic preview of what's to come when you read this book. And you do want to read this book because Oscar Levant is unique, funny, honest, interesting, and weird. He is the kind of person that you want to read about because he seemed to know everyone who was anyone in American music or in American film and of course he has the inside scoop on those people including Harpo Marx, Louis Mayer, Irving Berlin, Fanny Brice, Aaron Copland, Arnold Schoenberg, Dorothy Parker, Paul Whiteman, Judy Garland, Arturo Toscanini, and Harry Truman. Oscar Levant, as SN Behrman said, is the kind of person that if he had not existed, could not be imagined. Yes, he's that bad. Because he is brutally honest about his life, his loves, his obsessions and compulsions, his drug addictions and his music and friends, we have here a real-life true quill biography that takes no prisoners and lacks the usual apology or gloss or pastiche so common these days. Brutal honesty - that's the ticket. Oscar has to tap eight times to get water from the faucet. He has to tap eight times to shut the water off. He needs to name each street his limo passes and if he misses the name, his driver has to circle back to get the name. He will throw away a pack of cigarettes if someone talks while he is opening the pack. His wife, June, (her title should be Saint June) who picked up the pieces after each nervous breakdown, still must have a separate waste paper pail in each room so that she doesn't contaminate the waste paper in his pail. When Oscar had his heart attack, he had to go through all his night time rituals before he could get into bed for the doctor to check him. In short - a real nut case. And yet, and yet, a world-class pianist, composer, television and film personality who led a life well lived. You wouldn't want him in your home for dinner unless, of course, he kept his mouth shut and just played his marvelous interpretations of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, which, incidentally, I am listening to right now. Ah, genius, - it has its problems and it has its pleasures.

This has always been one of my favorite books. I recall reading it for the first time as a pre-teen, and chuckling at his OUTRAGEOUS stories. I'm probably among the last generation that remembers this brilliant man, which is a shame. In the days of the great "talk shows", like Jack Paar, etc.., Oscar Levant was always one of the most coveted, and controversial, guests. I remember seeing him on t.v., as a kid, & being fascinated by this odd looking man who, though I quite honestly didn't get 90% of what he was saying, was obviously someone truly unique. This book has all his irreverent humor, the humor even evident in his telling of his long battle with mental illness, and his extreme, then un-named "obsessive-compulsive" disorder. His brutal honesty about his ordeal was unheard of at that time, and was long before the trend of todays celebrities, who do everything but hawk their x-rays on informercials. There's many names in this book that you will recognize, and his telling of his encounters with various celebrities is not always in their favor, and will have you rolling on the floor. He was literally thrown off the air in the 1950's, for a remark he made on a live talk show, pertaining to Marilyn Monroe and her conversion to Judaism, which is recounted in this book, but can't be repeated here. But at the time, the staid 1950's, it must have had the audience awestruck in utter shock at his outrageous (and incredibly humorous) statement. This is just a fabulous book about one of the greatest wits of this century, the man who started out as an incredibly accomplished and respected pianist, he was most known for his rendition of good friend Gershwins "Rhapsody In Blue", and became something more than just a clown. Totally touching, hysterical, and honest, this book will have you falling in love with dear, lost, brilliant Oscar. In todays, for the most part, [dissapointing] "celebrity" climate, we sure could use the likes of him again.

This book was a disappointment although it covers the scope of Oscar Levant's life from Tin Pan Alley to Carnegie Hall to Hollywood to mental hospitals.

A major problem with the writing is that it consists of endless name dropping without context. If you aren't familiar with the names (which I wasn't for the most part) then a good deal of the story is lost.

Another feature of the writing is a constant stream of one-liners from Oscar and others. These were undoubtably funny when they were first said, but in the book they seem forced. For example, "I once said cynically of a politician, "He'll double-cross that bridge when he comes to it."" If you enjoy one-liners then this book showcases them throughout.

As a fan of Oscar Levant from movies like Rhythm on the River and An American In Paris, I was pleased that he was up front about many aspects of his life. However, the famous line, "Beneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character" had a lot more truth to it than I had assumed. Oscar really does exhibit rude behavior, selfishness, cheating and drug addiction. And of course neurosis. He is honest to his faults.

A better (but far briefer) description of Oscar Levant is in Harpo Marx's book "Harpo Speaks". That book also has a lot of name dropping, but the literary style is rich so that it's fascinating even if you are not familiar with the Algonquin Round Table.

With Oscar's book, I was satisfied about the scope of the writing, but disappointed in the terse style although it's an easy read.

I am a high school student and I was doing a project / paper on memory. I found this book to be simple, extremly interesting and even humorous in places. I opened the book to just get my paper done but it made me a real believer that I am following his advice to get into " the Memory Program".

The Memory Program is a concise and straightforward source of information regarding both the causes and treatments for memory loss. Dr. Devanand has taken information from his own research and personal clinical experience and has presented it in such a way that it is easily generalized to the public at large. This book inculdes discussions on the vast majority of causes, treatments, and preventive options for memory impairment. Despite the wide range of material covered, the book is organized in such a way that the reader does not get lost and is able to synthesize all the information. In short, this book is an excellent source of information not only for those people currently struggling with memory problems, but also for those interested in the prevention of such problems.

This book succinctly and in everyday language makes complex neuroscientific concepts and cutting-edge developments in memory research easily accessible to the reader. Most importantly, this book makes it possible for the reader to tailor this wealth of information to his/her personal needs in a realistic and easy-to-implement manner. I found this book extremely informative and useful and recommend it as a "must read" for any one who treasures their memory.

This is set apart from other memory books by the caliber of its author, who is both a practicing clinician and an eminent researcher in the field. Professionals, as well as the general public,will benefit from his elegant and succinct reviews of the complexities of neuroscience and also from his sage and practical advice.

Hi, I am a sophomore student at Rutgers and I volunteer at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. I have the opportunity to interact with Senior citizens who are troubled by their memory loss. There is also their added worry that they would be a burden to their family. This awareness rekindled my interest in memory and ways to improve it. I found the memory program to be very informative. It's author, Dr.Devanand has used his clinical knowledge, skills and experience to put this book in an orderly manner so that it is easy for the general public to get the information they need without getting lost. It spells out the causes, methods of prevention and treatment in a straightforward style. Dr. Devanand also has a holistic approach towards the program where he stresses the value of a healthy life style combining good nutrition and exercise . This is an easy to follow MANUAL - with plans tailored to individual needs, which should be in every house and everyone should "get with the program". Balaji , New Brunswick, NJ

Arrived very quickly, in time for the start of my class. The website that goes with the textbook is a great addition, the live animations really help to clarify the mechanisms explained in the book.

This has been refined over the years to be the gold standard of an educational text . Well worth the price.

I am a clinician scientist and have always had difficulty in relating to pure basic science books. The Molecular Biology of the Gene changed my mind. Outstandingly written chapters with colorful illustrations take you through extremely complex subjects in a breeze. A masterpiece, highly recommended.

I am a bioinformatian and always look for a reference molecular biology book which not only covers a range of topics but also is clear enough for a reader with limited knowledge of molecular biology. This books is exactly the one I was looking for. Even more, it provides a nice introduction to some basic molecular biology techniques. Highly recommend to any one who wants to know more about molecular biology from other backgrounds.

While in High School I took the class Mol. Bio. Gene from Dr. Watsons book at George Washington U., having taken orga. &inorganic&biochem at the community college after basic chem (my HS was colocated with the comm col. in Rockville MD). Paid $14.65 for mine, a f...king fortune then. I was working for Dr. Gallo (CDC) at NIH as a summer intern, riding my bike there. (Hey it's all about ME) So... I barely passed the class...it was tough. The book is still alive and kicking, and here I am back using it to understand/design a water treatment system for a small San Diego commun(ity). I thought the old man Watson died? UCSD has a center named for him.

So amazingly, for most things that are true, test of time. This book is amazing in clearly explaining the genetic processes involved. Back then (1972) I spent a lot of time slogging through the biochem then my org. chem text book (at 16). I was building the models to understand what the hell Watson was talking about in bonding, recumbinant replication , etc. Since my NIH job involved collectiing data from experiments designed by doctors working for Dr. Gallo bent on discovering a viral gene attack (read AIDS) I was able to seriously confuse and annoy the doctors/phds by my incessant half informed questions, and screwups (has any of that changed?)

Buy it! Use it! many lab processes have changed, but the book is seminal, with original idiots like me having become like the Olive Tree (if only I could have been in the Garden...), from that seed. May you provide some salvation to the future minions of the earth which will rage battle over pure water, help create partial salvation from his tome. The concepts form the rock foundation of life and salvation for the human race. God bless you.

Lawrence Durrell's third novel in his Alexander Quartet is larger and more political in scope than its predecessors. This time the narrative is focused on a British diplomat named Mountolive who has been stationed in Egypt. He has an affair with the mother of Nessim and Narouz, and the action takes us back to the original collection of characters from Justine after several years of build-up. Mountolive is a work that grounds Durrell's foot firmly into the cultural and historical framework of his environment; Alexandria is no longer a phantasm of his mind, he successfully fills it with depth and time, thus expanding the quartet in scale and feeling.

Lawrence Durrell has a beautiful mind. He's fun, very intelligent and witty. His biography is fascinating and he is uniquely qualified to write these novels, The Alexandria Quartet, set in the Mediterranian. The strengths of the novels are their evocation of the place and time, the characters and their lovely, loving interractions. Some of the observations on art and love are a bit of a stretch, however. Durrell himself is composite of the characters Darley, Balthazar and Arnauti. He's Irish by nationality but he grew up around the Mediterranian.

The Alexandria Quartet is one of the great works of the 20th century, especially if you wish you had lived in a simpler time and more interesting place, and had some interesting loves. Almost up to Ulysses, maybe not quite so pretentious.

I'm re-reading the series in order. "Justine" was a fine introduction and scene-setter: "Balthazar" somehow had less impact, though the life and passing of old Scobie make a hilarious thread running through it. But "Mountolive" comes to life with a vengeance! It may have something to do with his opportunity, in this version of the story, to draw with a very sharp pencil some of the products of the English society that he scorned - yet there is a strong sense of sympathy for the diplomat David Mountolive, trapped in a world of illusion and deceit.

This is the volume where some of the hidden currents swirling under the surface of the other two are exposed. Many surprises: many motives revealed: and above all, many wonderful set-pieces. There's the desert festival of Sitna Damiana, with the amazing transfiguration of Narouz. The bitter meeting between Mountolive and his former love, the then-beautiful younger Leila, where now after many years and the ravages of smallpox, "He saw a plump and square-faced Egyptian lady of uncertain years, with a severely pock-marked face and eyes drawn grotesquely out of true by the antimony-pencil." And the unforgettable discreet transaction between Nessim and Memlik Pasha: Nessim's "offering" is almost too elegant to be called a bribe: it is an addition to Memlik's prized collection of Korans, this one an "exquisite little Koran wrapped in soft tissue paper: he had carefully larded the pages with bank drafts negotiable in Switzerland."

But above all, the final apocalyptic revelation, the full, dark blossom of total treachery and death makes an unforgettable climax. This is the one that deserves to be called a "page-turner."

Now I have two small caveats or alerts to record. One is a little piece of trickery that Durrell uses all the time, which is effective until you notice it, then you say "Oh, not again!" I almost hesitate to mention it - should I lessen others' pleasure? but heck, this is a review! It's simply this: the excessive use of the word "great."

See, it adds a sense of importance to whatever it describes. How many times does "the great car" bear them silently along the Corniche?" What a different impression it makes to have someone draw up the "great iron gates" instead of just "wide" or even "black" or "imposing" iron gates? It's not an annual duck-shoot on Lake Mareotis, it's "the great annual duck-shoot." And on and on...Mountolive sits at the "great desk," in Mountolive's English family home his mother spends her time in front of "the great fireplace..." Oh well. We can forgive him this considering the wonderful work as a whole.

The other alert is that today's reader may be startled to see the n-word used in several places, with all its accustomed freight of stereotyping. In this respect Durrell was a product of his society and generation, unfortunately.

But five stars anyway for an extraordinary reading experience.

Oh - something I just noticed here...someone tagged the book with "spanish!" I've noticed before how people can read a book - or see a DVD - and get MAJOR things totally wrong!

I am amazed by how different the first three novels of Durrell's ALEXANDRIA QUARTET are from one another. JUSTINE, the first, is a highly subjective account, by a writer drunk on words and sensations, of sexual intrigues among a small coterie in Alexandria in the later 1930s. BALTHAZAR, the second, adds other points of view and offer longer vistas to show the same entanglements in a rather different light. The third, MOUNTOLIVE, embraces many of the same characters over the same period of time, but its texture is entirely different, reading much more like a normal novel. Although Darley, the original narrator, makes occasional appearances, this book abandons first-person narrative entirely. In a further move towards objectivity, it focuses on a professional diplomat, Sir David Mountolive, who is appointed British Ambassador to Egypt at about the time the overlapping action begins. But the book begins several decades earlier, building up Mountolive's personality, showing the man of feeling behind the professional neutrality of his facade. As a much younger attaché at the start of the novel, he became the lover of Leila Hosnani, the mother of powerful brothers Nessim and Narouz, who are as important to this book as they were to BALTHAZAR. Leila's friendship, continued through the years by correspondence, is a powerful force drawing Mountolive back to Egypt, but ultimately a liability when he has to act in an official capacity towards the end.

Seen in its own terms (and it almost does stand on its own), MOUNTOLIVE is a political or historical novel rather than a romantic one. But it requires some knowledge of the European presence in the Middle East. By the end of the First World War, Britain essentially administered both Egypt and Palestine. By the time of these novels, Egypt has been granted independence, although Britain still wields great influence in its affairs, but the British mandate in neighboring Palestine will remain in force until 1947. And even within Egypt, Alexandria is a special case, where European influence is almost more important than Arabic. The leading figures in the novel, as in Alexandrian society, are not primarily Moslems, but Coptic Christians together with some Jews and numerous expatriates. The potential tensions between these various groups, only lightly hinted at in BALTHAZAR, become the mainspring of the plot of MOUNTOLIVE, which takes on elements of a spy story. Once more, this new perspective casts a new light on everything that we had seen before, giving an added real-world dimension to its characters.

The greater time-span of this novel means that we can see events through to at least a provisional conclusion. The first two-thirds of the book are brighter, more inspiring, than anything in the tetralogy so far. The major characters ride waves of passion, inspiration, ambition, determination. But almost all these bright starts come up against limitations, if not outright failure. The miracle is that this trajectory does not make MOUNTOLIVE depressing. Durrell's writing is a fine as ever, but now it is active rather than static; he seems less concerned with philosophy and description, more with character and action. In particular, the book is structured around a number of two-person encounters, each distinctly different from the others, exquisitely well observed in terms of the interplay of character, and often taking surprising turns. Not even the desert ride in BALTHAZAR, for instance, can match the drama of Nessim's final confrontation with Narouz. None of the sexual activity in JUSTINE can touch the sad bedroom encounter between Pursewarden and Melissa, whose very failure proves so pivotal to the plot. And at the very end of the book, as the characters find themselves trapped in situations of their own making, Durrell returns to his earlier virtuoso style with a vengeance, creating an atmosphere of nightmare that propels the action towards a climactic tour-de-force, even while sounding the knell of earlier hopes.

But there remains the promise of the last book, CLEA, to move the action forward and provide a true ending. The painter Clea has appeared in all three books so far as a touchstone of balance and grace. If any of her qualities infuse the book that bears her name, Durrell must surely achieve his own kind of benediction.

This series so far - - "The Alexandria Quartet" - - has been one of the most interesting and wonderful things I have ever read. Memorable in every way. To be savored and remembered. Just simply a dazzling accomplishment by Durrell. "Mountolive" is written in 3rd person, unlike the first two, and it explores more of the motives and facts of the same people in the same time period - yet another layer - than of emotions and longings. And now we finally get to the bottom of Nessim, Justine, Narouz, and Pursewarden. And we learn of the conspiracy behind the first two novels, and we learn of Mountolive's life. All these people are so alive in my mind, Mountolive being such a sad, pathetic man. Yet once again Egypt and Alexandria take center stage. What a writer this man was!

Humor can be a serious business and it isn't always pretty. That's why I love this book! P.S. Wall isn't afraid to point out the imperfections of everyday life from a slightly warped perspective. Her stories always make me smile and she reminds me that I'm not the only one that thinks that life is funny! Besides, she doesn't use any big words and she keeps her chapters short. I like that in a woman ...

This is without a doubt, the funniest female writer since Erma Bombeck. P.S.Wall makes girl talk fun, without the complaining. A must read!

I bought the book at lunch and decided to just thumb through it quickly. Oh,no...I hear the sound of laughter and realize it's me. Quickly, I slap my hand over my mouth and slowly turn around to see if someone heard me. A cube-mate rolls his chair around to my cube and just stares. I blush and stare back. He is waiting for an answer. I giggle and say I just remembered something that happened at lunch. Suddenly, I am telling the story as if it were my own (wishing it to be true). Others join the laughter and I tell another. Then an idea hits me.! My Love is free....for secretary's day instead of flowers...the boss gives everyone a P.S. Wall book. My peers will love me and I might get a promotion or better yet a raise for this suggestion.

P. S. Wall's comfortable humor makes me read and want to read again her experiences from the true, down-a-dirt-road, Sunday-go-to-meetin', chicken and dumplins', rural South. How did she grow up in my neighborhood without my knowing it?

My mom got me this book for Christmas, and her impeccable taste in humor didn't fail here. "My Love Is Free ..." is one of the funniest books of all time. Her "Sweetie" sounds just like most guys I know ... I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe when I read about their "adventures" in installing outdoor lighting. Even my husband, who can be a bit sensitive about this subject, laughed until his eyes watered. You can't go wrong giving this book as a gift ... and make sure to buy an extra copy for yourself!

The writing and story seemed fine. It certainly had personality and flair. After a while though, the stories seemed a bit of a stretch. Guarino was the only one who could schmooze his captors into better treatment. Guarino was the one who reprimanded and instructed the more well-known POW's (Kasler, etc.) Guarino was wiser than other SRO's who advocated detrimental behaviors (Denton and fasting). Guarino was the one who had his hand on moving events (Denton speech at Clark AFB).

I'm sure the guy went through hell and more than I could ever take but the story really started to smack of someone trying to justify and prove his heroics. His heroics stood for themselves -- they didn't need to be built off the backs of others.

Fine writing and overall a fine story but starts to stretch credulity.

This book is a true story that My Grandfather went thru after being shot down in the Vietnam War. He was Bound Tied and Tortured almost daily. They did not break him. I applaud you Grandpa for writing this book. You are my Hero!
David

This book takes a harsh look at the truth of life of an American POW in Vietnam. Reading the horrid things done to our POW's would make me ill at times but it also gave me an even greater respect for the people who served in the Vietnam War. Our POW's went through a lot and if you'd like to experience that first hand, read this book!

I have read several accounts of the Vietnam POW's and this one was the most emotional for me. I am glad that he had the courage to point out the traitorous and despicable behavior of people like Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden. What these men had to go through is in the face of such cowardice by these traitors is incomprehensible to me. God bless you Col. Guarino... your efforts are profoundly appreciated!

As the young son of an Air Force officer, I was close to the family during the period of captivity. I only wish there was more in the book of the incredible courage of the entire family. The oldest son went to Vietnam and flew as a Forward Air Controller. The wife was deeply involved in the grass-roots effort to free the POWs and I was deeply touched by her courage, devotion and faith. I once saw the middle son save a young boy after the boy was attacked by a shark. It is often difficult to identify true courage, but here is an entire family. This is a great book of courage from the courageous father of a courageous family.

Very good book. I led a Bible study on the parables and used this as one of my references and guides. Definitely made the planning and teaching easier.

The Parables of Jesus by David Wenham is a superb book on one of the most important topics in Gospels study. It is not new. It has been on the market since 1989. Even so, it is not "dated". Even after all these years it is quite simply the best book on parables for adults that aren't Bible college or Seminary grads I and most readers have ever seen. (Originally, it was part of a series called the Jesus Library. There were at least 10 volumes by very fine authors [including F. F. Bruce, R. T. France, and Michael Green]. This one is the only one still in print. It's that good.)

It particular is an ideal book for an adult Sunday School class or in-homes study class to use as a textbook, if they want to dig a little deeper than usual, but not get overwhelmed. I have used it that way myself, with the group reading and discussing about half of a chapter per week.

Wenham is a first rate British expert in parables studies, but he writes this book with lay people and college students in mind, not seminarians or grad students.

Even His arrangement is telling: What most technical books on parables start out with he puts at the end in three appendices--The authenticity of the parables, The Interpretation of the Parables, and The Purpose of the Parables and the Interpretation of Mark 4:10-12.

With that arrangement, you can start by studying the parables first, and you can go further to see what the experts are saying about the most controversial topics later--if, that is, you wish to. He does point the way. There is even a select bibliography and a note on further reading, all of which help the reader who gets hooked on the topic and wants to explore it more do so.

Wenham is no ivory tower theorist. Like Jesus engaged his listeners, he engages the reader with Jesus' call to a revolutionary Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, in some sense starting small and ending up dominant, and demanding obedient discipleship. He is very practical, engaging, and calls the reader to commitment.

If you want the best book available on parables, you probably want instead Klyne R. Snodgrass's Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus: (Eerdmans, 2008), say, as the teacher of the Adult Sunday School class or, in particular, as a pastor. But it is the sort of book layfolk might consult. From my experience, I think few of them would sit down and read it, even in small chunks. Still, there is so much vertical whitespace setting off the various topics along the way through the book, that they are intelligible most of the time. And the most difficult issues are dealt with in about 200 pages of end notes (which can be consulted or ignored, depending on the reader's needs).

...this is it!

I have read most of the commentaries currently available as I've written two books about the parables from a Biblically-faithful and creative perspective(Parablelife: Living the stories Jesus told in real time published by FaithWalk and available on amazon.com). Wenham's volume was far and away the most useful. He used the metaphor of revolution throughout this well-written, readable volume to help explain Jesus' use of the words "the Kingdom of Heaven". The book is organized in a creative way - the parables are grouped and discussed as they pertain to the metaphor of revolution.

Wenham's strength is in application, demonstrating both how and why these stories of Jesus can shape our lives. He is an able scholar, and his love of God's Word shows in his careful discussion of each parable. There is a short discussion about various historical and contemporary methods of interpretation at the back of the volume, along with several indexes that make the book even more user-friendly.

I am using this book as the text for a group bible study on the Parables of Jesus. This book is an excellent resource for teachers and students of the Bible. It provides a through basis for exegesis of each of the parables, grouping them logically and explaining them accurately. Wenham lets the historical and literary context drive his interpretations, avoiding the twin pitfalls of assuming the parables are either allegory or single point. Overall, a must-have for anyone who plans to seriously study the parables.

I prepared a series of Bible studies on the parables of Jesus and wanted supplemental material to add to my understanding and class lectures. Specifically, I was interested in Jewish traditions and cultural insights that would add color and clarity to the stories.

I purchased three books, including David Wenham's "The Parable of Jesus." I am not a Bible scholar and not particularly interested in theological debates over allegorical loose ends and old disputes over linguisitc fine points that other books were consumed with.

This book provided me exactly what I needed - clear, concise insights into the culture, traditions and context of the times. For example, in the Prodigal Son, Wenham pointed out that by asking his father for his inheritance while the father was still living, in the meaning of the legal traditions, the prodigal was actually implying that he wished his father dead.

In the parable of the Good Samritan, he observes that the road from "Jericho to Jerusalem" drops 2,500 feet along a treacherous and winding path; ideal for robbers and thieves to hang out. Further, he points out that "two denari" was enough money to pay for twenty-four nights at the inn.

These details helped me to put meat on the bones of the story and bring to life these precious parables. These are not earth-shattering biblical truths, but they were very helpful to me in making the topic interesting and relevant. Just like Wenham's book.

Any J.A. Jance book is a winner in my library. I love her writing style and this book does not disappoint.

Any JP book is a good ...book.
Are you kidding get this and all the others, I love JP Beaumount!

First I must say in response to an earlier review, no the villian is not revealed early on! I don't know how she knew, but I didn't know until the very end! This was a good book and a fast pace read. I'm not usually a big mystery reader, but I really like Jance's style and most of all I like J.P. Beaumont. He is a great main character.

I really enjoyed this book. Like the others in the Beaumont series, this was a quick read. The plot was entertaining. Just when you thought you knew who the killer was there was another slight twist. I also enjoyed learning more about J.P. Beaumont as the story was peppered with a few more details about his character. I would definately recommend this book.

This novel was an airplane read for me--a solid three hour flight plus a few moments at the hotel the next morning to finish it up. The plotting and characterization were solid, but not particularly novel. The "extras" added to the plot are in the main eccentric and interesting, as good mystery cameo players should be. Ms. Jance's protagonist was somewhat disappointing--a suitable sleuth, but some of the backstory just didn't work for me in this one. I'd pick up another Jance if I were in the airport and needed a good read, but I wouldn't go out of my way to locate the rest of this series. What do you get when you cross a dash of Christie, a dash of Hammett, a trace of Paretsky, and a lot of those modern "suburbanesque" detectives....something readable, certainly, but not quite a top flight mystery. If you need a good read, it's here, but it's a flawed work, and the villain is obvious from way too early in.

Miss Read's novels capture the best aspects of the small town provincial novel--the sense of connection, the wry Austenisms--while leaving the sentimentality and pollyanna-ism sometimes afflicting the genre to her lesser imitators. A Peaceful Retirement brings us another step--perhaps a final step--nearer to the end of this series. I recommend this series, and this book within the series, to anyone who wishes that a novel might have both a 20th C. awareness and a somewhat 19th C. sense of perspective....Most people have not discovered Miss Read, and one somehow wonders if "most people" really ought to. But I am certainly glad that I did....

Miss Read has written over 40 titles, with this final tome describing how her headmistress heroine copes with her new-found life of leisure.

In an afterword, the author says she is laying down her pen "with a thankful heart". It is all the more surprising therefore that these final tales show no sign of staleness. In fact, "A Peaceful Retirement" is quite playful in tone as Miss Read copes valiantly with a series of unlooked-for marriage proposals.

Given that the school year is so regular the author manages to describe events such as Christmas celebrations and harvest festivals with no sense of repetition, and as ever captures the tensions between town and country living, children's and adult worlds and men and women beautifully.

With this book Dora Saint, the real-life Miss Read, can take her own retirement from authorship knowing that she has served her readers well.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.

I enjoyed this book just as much as I have all the other books written by Miss Read. The reason that I enjoyed this book so much was that it was like catching up with old friends and being transported back to the Village and all the surrounding scenery which captures my imagination. I recommend that you read not only this book but all those that Miss Read (Dora Saint) has written for anyone that enjoys people and a very descriptive story which includes the lovely countryside that one can only imagine. I will miss my friends very much. Thank You Dora Saint for giving me many hours of pleasure.

I just finished reading "A Peaceful Retirement". Just like her other books, it was excellent reading. I was sorry when the book ended because I wanted to read more. Few years ago I wrote Miss Read a letter stating I loved all her books. She was kind enough to write me a handwritten letter in reply. After a hetic day, I look forward to reading her books and revisit the loveable characters in the quiet town.