Education Books

Both my sons love this book and with its clean, cheerful and fun images - I think it is a winner. I wish there were more books like this for kids!

This is the only book that my daughter has ever made a place for on her night stand. She loves the graphics in it, they get her imagination really going. She says she wishes she could live in the book!

I picked up Nicole Wheldon's "1,2, 3 Bees" and couldn't put it down till I was finished! That took all of 90 seconds - not because I am a speed-reader, but because it's the easiest book I've read in years -- about 49 years, to be exact. It's The 1,2, 3 Bees, A Counting Book, beautifully illustrated by Diana Zourelias-Noro.

You'll like "Bees", too! But I don't think quite so much as will our more precocious two and three year olds. I took it to a local bookstore to get a professional's opinion of the 22-page soon-to-be-classic. (There's a sales girl there that reads to the toddlers on the weekends.) Her reaction: "This is such a cute little book! How sweet!!!"...

As we closed the book on the first reading, our preschooler announced 'Read it again, Mama.' We've since read it a number of times, each one a little slower, as s/he begins to study the illustrations in more detail. The story is really just a sequence of sentences counting out how many bees and what they do. It's the beautiful illustrations and the fun of sharing a read-out-loud book that make this great. The bees are cute and the pages are sturdy and will withstand frequent readings, too. Definitely buy this book if you want an art-quality counting book for your child's library.

Very cheery book - It's sure to hold the young reader's attention. The characters seem to all dance and play as the story lesson is being read. What a great tool to teach a young child numbers.

It took me longer than usual to read this book. Not that it wasn't good, because it was; I just didn't want to continuously read and cry at the same time! I'm usually sensitive to matters like this but the fact that this story is realistic made finishing the book at my two day record time...difficult. I was so pleased to read Alvaro and Shawn were able to heal and live their lives. I commend the writer for going through the depths of the healing process with these young men and bringing that experience to the readers. Excellent book! I recommend this to others but make sure you have tissue handy!

Purchased this book for my husband who was burned 42 years ago. He really enjoyed the book and re-living thru this book everything that he had gone thru--only technology was not as good then. He read the book in 2 days he was that interested in it. Recommend it to everyone to see just how terrifying being burned really is.

What a wonderfull story and an awesome read. I could hardly do anything for 2 days, because I was reading this book. It just made you want to get up and go hug someone close to you. I would have loved to have known more about the individuals now and after the accident. What are they doing now and are they still close and in touch. It was just a great book and it put a warm feeling in your heart.

This is an absorbing non-fiction book, a book I couldn't put down. The author does an awesome job describing the characters, their struggles, and their feelings. When I finished the book I felt like I knew the two young men so caringly described in 'After the Fire'. I don't regret a minute spent reading this well-told story.

The book "After the fire" is one of the most heartfelt, moving stories that I have ever read. It is the story of the fire at Seton Hall University's (in New Jersey) freshman dormitory that left 58 people injured and 3 people dead. Among the 58 people injured were roomates Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos. The book concentrates on them and their comeback from being severly injured. Both were severely burned, and required extensive stays in the hospital (Alvaro also went to a rehabilitation center)before they were able to return to society. Their casual friendship turns into a deep bond as they encounter their setbacks in re-entering the world together.
This book moved me to tears several times as it described what Alvaro and Shawn had to go through to get to where they are today. There is a special place in heaven for the victims of burns, as well as for the Doctors and nurses who choose to treat burn victims. "After the fire" introduces you to many memorable characters in the hospitals who are truly unsung heros. It also discusses the story of the detectives who finally bring the arsonists to justice in their trial in 2007.
This book has been my favorite read of 2008 so far. You will not be able to put it down. I hope the author, Robin Gaby Fisher, writes more books. Her first one has been unforgettable.

I am an adult, but once I picked this book up, I could not stop reading. The Boy Trap is entrancing, clever, unpredictable, and unique. Well done, Ms. Matson!

Great book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a grownup but read the books my kids read all the time so I consider myself somewhat of an authority. My all-time favs include the whole Harry Potter series (of course), Holes, Youth in Revolt (one of my favorite books period), Epileptic (graphic novel from David B.).

I love the book, The Boy Trap. Why did you write it? Are you working on another book? What were you thinking about when you wrote the book? I think it wasn't very nice saying boys were a waste of human life.
Your friend,
Aaron Nesselroade
(Ness sil road)

Dear Nancy Madison,
What's your favorite book you wrote?
What was the name of the first book you wrote?
How many books have you written? I wanted
to hurt Emma when she said that boys are a
Waste of human life. But I loved the rest.


Your friend,
Spencer

The boy Trap is definately my all time fvaorite book.
I like how Emma and Louise try to prove that girls are
superior to boys. It's something every kid will want to read
again and again...Like me.

This book was used for a study at our church this summer and several ladies really appreciated it's help in their lives. I have just started reading it in a book study with some other ladies and we too are enjoying it and hope that it will indeed help us to "calm our anxious hearts".

Our Women's Bible Study decided to share this book and it has had the most positive results. In a world of such uncertainty we learn through Linda's stories and experience how to allow God to calm our hearts. I would recommend this book to all women if just to hear that you are not alone. That we all have like experiences that cause us to become anxious. To learn through the Word of God how to be satisfied with who you are because you were made wonderfully. There is so much in this little book that it will open your eyes and heart to His plan for you. I also purchased this book for my sisters and friends as gifts.

The message of this book is timeless. It is an easy read and one I would recommend to any woman.

This book is wonderful. When I find myself worrying about something, I read this book, and the Bible passages Dillow refers to, and find great comfort. I have purchased several copies for friends, and they are also finding it very helpful.

The bible study group I co-lead is very pleased with the book so far. We are just getting started, and we immediately appreciated the easy-reading style of the chapters. Our group consists primarily of mothers of YOUNG (under age 7) children, and anxiety is a big part of our day and our spirituality at this point in our lives (who has TIME for anything other than filling sippy cups and changing diapers??). This book addresses pertinent issues for us, and we utilize the helpful leader guide/discussion questions available at the back of the book (helps make being the leader less stressful/time consuming).

Pellicer's book was an excellent book for anyone in the education field. Through short essays, he gives a clear, sometimes humorous, always honest view of what it takes to be a successful leader. While reading this book, I was able to personalize many of the experiences he speaks of and apply the lessons that he has learned through the years to my own life and career goals. Because of the way it is written, the reader has the ability to "skip around" and read the chapters that seem the most pertinent at the time. As a classroom teacher, I found this book to be a source of inspiration to me--inspiration that I desperately need at this mid-year point! After reading his thought-provoking, encouraging essays, I think I might just be able to make it until the end of the school year after all!

Caring Enough to Lead was an easy to read, interesting, thought-provoking book. By sharing personal experiences and perspectives in his book, Dr. Pellicer helped me begin to understand what it means to be a leader and to focus on some of the attributes and attitudes of an effective leader. The questions at the end of the chapters caused me to stop and reflect on my role as a leader in my school and in my classroom. The short chapters in the book enabled me to read one or more chapters at a time depending on how much time I had available.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr. Pellicer's book, Caring Enough to Lead. It was easy to read and very entertaining while at the same time very applicable for teachers in any situation. It gently reminds us of why we choose teaching in the first place, to touch lives. Dr. Pellicer also reflects on several ways to lead as well as the responsibilities that come with leadership. It was easy to reflect on myself as a leader as I was reading this book. I was able to relate my own experiences to most of his chapters. His writing style of vignettes and questions was fun and unique to read. The short chapters made it convenient to read a chapter or two at a sitting and come back to it later.

This book, written by an education professor, should be required reading for everyone in the field of education. It is a very readable challenge to educators to reflect on their beliefs, practices, and reasons for becoming an educator. While reading the book, I highlighted many passages in order to come back to them and to share them with colleagues in the future. In reflecting on a career in education, the book helped reaffirm my belief that it is important to care about others and pointed out the fact that it is important to care about yourself also. This is a book that educators and leaders can read without feeling burdened with a lot of theory or extra rhetoric. The entire book can be read at one time or it can be read in small segments. It is a book that causes soul-searching and one that should be in every professional library.

Can a series of essays on leadership be described as pleasurable, thoughtful reading material? It can if it is Caring Enough to Lead by Pellicer. Pellicer presents twenty essays that are thought provoking as well as entertaining. Personal stories lead the reader into more in-depth philosophical questions about leadership. The essays contain countless statements that lead the reader to stop and think.
"Life affords us too few opportunities to show others how much we care, we can't afford to waste these opportunities."
"I wish I could find a way to encourage all the teachers in our school to run around and flap their arms on a more regular basis."
"Leadership is never about ruling others, it is about serving others."
"A good teacher can give a child power over his or her own life."
Pellicer feels that becoming a leader requires some who cares, excepts the responsibility of leading, and nourishes and supports others who care. All this is required in order to successfully educate our children.

I just completed reading this book. I am on the Governance Council for a small montessori school, where my three boys have attended for 5 years and still going. I loved this book, but I must point out that this is from an AMI teacher and school not AMS. There are some differences that an AMS teacher or parent will immediately notice in the book. That being said, there isn't a better book that I've read regarding inclusive and peaceful negotations with children. Donna is a role model for all of us in how she interacts with the children, how she challenges the class to be involved in each child's challenges and truly loves and believes in each child. I have purchased a second book to have in our "parent resource" library for our school.

This book illustrates how a skillful practitioner and an artful teacher can make a difference in a child's life. It shows why our traditional methods of consequences and punishments, of making demands and rejecting children who don't live up to them create and maintain our hostile educational systems thus our society. Goertz demonstrates another way; a path toward healing and peace. She strengthed my resolve that respect, community and time are the way and that some children are on a unique journey.

It should be a must read for every teacher, especially teachers of young children.Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful: Preventing Exclusion in the Early Elementary Classroom

Laurie Prusso M.Ed.
Professor of Child Development
Modesto Junior College
Modesto, CA

This is a great portrayal of the Montessori educational philosophies. It profiles students considered challenging in traditional educational systems and shows how they were welcomed and thrived in the Montessori school.
It shows how traditional educational systems based on competition have failed many young students.
The author is a fantastic teacher and advocate for the success of all children.
Must read for all parents considering Motessori or Waldorf. Also for parents of children who have been labled at an early age.

This is a wonderful book. Donna Bryant Goertz makes a strong case that 'problem' children should not be tutored, medicated, put in remedial or disciplinary classes or otherwise excluded, but allowed to develop emotionally and intellectually at their own pace in a respectful, loving, supportive, and highly structured environment. Arranged as a series of case studies, the stories of these young students dramatically support Bryant Goertz's thesis, and the personalities and voices of the children shine through. In addition, parents (or others who work with children) can learn much from the discussions of how to approach behaviors that are disruptive to a Montessori community (or household, or playgroup).

My very first Montessori teaching experience was in Donna Goertz' classroom in Austin Montessori School (her name was different then as was mine). I remember situations in the classroom and on the playground, which, to be honest, terrified me as a newly trained Montessori teacher serving as Donna's assistant. She would often step into one of those "terrifying" frays, placing herself strategically in the middle of everything of importance, and handle the children with respectfulness, fearlessness, and creativity. I still remember those situations with awe, and as I work with the children in my current Montessori school, sometimes wish for the really excentric and challenging children who teach us all so much. My late husband, also a Montessorian, wrote an article entitled "Why Difficult Children Are My Favorites." He remembered the stories I brought home from school as I was learning from Donna Goertz. I recommend this book to any Montessori teacher who finds him or herself silently and guiltily cursing that child who disrupts and seems to defy the normalizing effects of the Montessori approach. It is a gift to all of us.

As an ESL instructor for over 13 years, I have found this book rich with wonderful prompts generating creative and engaging dialogue amongst my ESL students. In my private tutoring groups Compelling Conversations produces lively group discussions that exercise the students' linguistic and cultural muscles.

Michael Cannon ESL Instructor
University of Southern California

COMPELLING CONVERSATIONS fills a real niche in which I have been teaching for some years now. It suits the needs of advanced-level ESL students and clients as well as native speakers of English who need to improve their communication skills. The book's questions and quotations are just as useful for writing exercises as they are for speaking exercises.

I have found the material in the book to be very accessible to highly accomplished adults without insulting their intelligence. The questions are much more thought-provoking than the ones generally found in standard ESL textbooks. Concrete thinkers can enjoy all the detail while abstract thinkers can go off on tangents inspired by the proverbs and quotations.

The format of COMPELLING CONVERSATIONS is very flexible and readable. The three- and four-page chapters are easily broken down into parts, which can be a godsend when filler material is needed for intensive ESL classes. I am already a big fan of this book, and expect to become an even bigger one the more I use it.

anyone can run out of ideas when teaching students from a non-English background... this will help you get right back in to reach out where you were loosing touch..

In my experience, adult learners tend to be wary of spending any more of their precious time on grammar lessons. Instead they want a chance to use what they already know to express themselves, and to learn more about other cultures. "Compelling Conversations: Questions & Quotations on Timeless Topics" provides just such opportunities, in an engaging and teacher-friendly format. The 45 chapters are arranged by topic to address universally relevant themes such as "Your Life" and "Modern Times". Each chapter takes a semi-structured approach by providing open-ended questions, targeted vocabulary, proverbs, and quotations. There are no rigid lesson plans here, only springboards to lively personal and inter-cultural exchange. From my own background in classrooms on three continents I can say that this rich collection of material would be an ideal addition to the toolkit of any teacher still inspired by the notion of free speech.

Super duper!! The quotes are outstanding: well-chosen & thought-provoking. The questions really do help my students get the ball rolling . . . to have compelling conversations of their own. Truly one of the most useful resources I have ever come across. Now, if I could only get my administrator to pony up for a set of 25 copies!

Great book which is helpful to younger teachers to give them more positive perspective and to older teachers to help rekindle the flame of their beginning years.

Book seller was great and accomodated a shipping change at the last moment. Everything went very well.

I loved this book. Parker Palmer is addressing something that other books and inservices don't and that is the integrity that's at the heart of all teachers. He offers advice and encouragement to those who care so deeply and give so much to their students.

If teaching is part of your life's work, then this is a must read. It is both spiritual and practical in its wisdom and demands for authenticity.

This book is a gift to all dedicated educators. Parker Palmer's thoughtful text, The Courage to Teach, has been updated and expanded for this, his tenth anniversary edition. I love the CD that comes with it. I used this book in my graduate course last fall and my students really enjoyed reading it and discussing Palmer's ideas. One student commented, "From Parker Palmer I've learned how to think more critically....I find myself spending much more time thinking before speaking. Not just in class but in LIFE!" All of us who work in classrooms need to consider the impact of our words on others. This book is an excellent guide to understanding that it is not technique but one's identity and integrity that make a difference in the classroom.

This new edition is a welcomed reminder of the eloquent and insightful invitation Parker Palmer issued ten years ago to educators to go inside themselves and rekindle the passion that originally drew them to teaching. I am delighted to know that in the past ten years this work has evolved to include others in professions of the heart--namely everyone. This is a profoundly thoughtful and engaging book for anyone.

I enjoyed the book and it has an incredible amount of resources in it. It addressed a lot of homeschooling concerns for gifted kids. I don't feel it is a stand alone resource and maybe after a few years and some revisions it will seem more "complete".

I read several dozen books on homeschooling when I decided that my kids were going to be homeschooled. Creative Home Schooling by Lisa Rivero was by far the best book I came across. Initially I just checked the book out from the library as I did with the rest of books on homeschooling I read. I actually bought this book and am happy about it. Most of the home schooling books are designed for the average family that pulls its kids out of school, often for religious reasons. Ms. Rivera targets the audience of people who homeschool because their kids are just too smart for normal public school. She discusses different learning styles, the differences between gifted children and high achievers, child-directed learning, and asynchronous learners.

This is absolutely the best book I have read about homeschooling. It is intended for gifted children, but is so much more than that. It talks about all types of homeschooling methods, suggests materials, gives experiences from parents already homeschooling - it is just wonderful. I have given this book to friends considering homeschooling and they agree - this book is a MUST READ!

Book provides many helpful hints for homeschooling gifted children. It does focus more on families that are newly considering homeschooling so it was less of a help to me than expected. It still helped me with some insight into alternatives for gifted children and provided many lists of resources.

If you are new to homeschooling and your child is gifted, this book is a must-have. The different styles of homeschooling are reviewed and presented in an objective manner. The first section of the book deals with gifted children and why homeschooling is an ideal solution for many. The next section helps you to find your homeschool style, and the final portion is a resource guide. Informative quotes from kids and parents are liberally sprinkled through the text. Go ahead and borrow it from your public library, but you're going to want to buy it after you see it!

Thomas Watson, born in England around 1620, was a Puritan preacher and author of more than ten books. He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. In 1646 he commenced a sixteen year pastorate at St. Stephen's, Walbrook. In 1686, he retired to Barnston, Essex, where he died suddenly while praying in secret (from Wikipedia). The Doctrine of Repentance, first published in 1668, is a small book that offers a complete teaching on biblical repentance.

Watson begins with a brief discussion of the order of salvation. Which comes first, faith or repentance? After defending his conviction that faith is wrought in the heart prior to seeing the fruits of repentance, Watson moves on to an explanation of how the Spirit and the Word work together to bring about repentance.

Oftentimes, it is helpful for a teacher to show what a thing is not in order to effectively show what it truly is. Watson does this with repentance. Before he delves into the specifics of what repentance is, he first discusses what repentance is not. Watson gives several examples of how we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are repentant, such as a troubled mind regarding our sin, the making of resolutions against sin, realizing that sin and its consequences are painful, quitting sin for fear of future evil, and quitting one sin only to take up another. None of these equal biblical repentance.

True repentance is explained over two chapters. Watson defines gospel repentance as "a grace of God's Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed," and includes six ingredients:
1) Sight of sin
2) Sorrow over sin (which includes six qualifications)
3) Confession (including eight requisite qualifications and two ways it is used)
4) Shame (including nine considerations and two ways it is used)
5) Hatred of sin (including five ways we can know if we hate sin)
6) Turning from sin (including five requisite qualifications and three uses)

In these chapters, Watson gives special attention to those times when repentance is absolutely necessary, such as prior to participating in the Lord's Supper and upon one's death bed (if one is so fortunate to have a sound mind in his moments before death). He also expounds on sin's origin, nature, consequences, comparison to hell and affliction, and the coming judgment. Like many other protestants of his day, when writing about the need for confession, Watson takes issue with the catholic church and papacy. He explains that it is not only because of their obvious misapplication regarding confession to men, but because of their mishandling of gospel repentance. Watson, after giving his main points, asks and answers possible questions that may come to mind while reading, something he continues throughout the book.

In Chapter 5, Watson offers five reasons, centered on the nature of God, to enforce repentance. This chapter also includes an exposition of two kinds of people who will find it especially difficult to repent, and ends with a warning to the hard-hearted.

Chapter 6 is a many-faceted exhortation to repentance. Here Watson exhorts all kinds of people, the great and the small, the nation of England, those who are moral and think they have no need of repentance, hypocrites, and God's own people, "Christians indeed," to repent. Repentance is necessary for all people and for all sins.

In Chapter 7, Watson gives sixteen reasons for why we should be motivated to repent. And Chapter 8 includes all the reasons for why we should be motivated to repent posthaste.

In Chapter 9, Watson uses 2 Corinthians 7:11 to teach the reader how to test whether or not his repentance is sincere. According to Watson, there are seven fruits and products of repentance. Only when we know that our repentance is true can we then speak peace to ourselves with scriptures that tell us our sins are pardoned and passed into oblivion.

Chapters 10-12 deal with impediments to repentance and the means for repentance. Watson writes, "When you lack water, you search the cause, whether the pipes are broken or stopped, that the current of water is hindered. Likewise when no water of repentance comes (though we have the conduit-pipes of ordinances), see what the cause is." These ten impediments to repentance can be summarized as ignorance, presumption, laziness, love of the world and sin, the idea that one's sins are to great to be forgiven, fear, and the opinion that repentance means no more joy. Watson then takes two chapters to prescribe the means for getting passed the impediments. The means include, but are not limited to, an education in sin and its hellish effects, the coming judgment, and the mercies of God.

A few quotes:

Tomorrow may be our dying day; let this be our repenting day.

Spiritual sorrow will sink the heart if the pulley of faith does not raise it.

Repentance must be kept alive in the soul.

When the soul is going out of the body, it should swim to heaven in a sea of tears.

A wicked man acknowledges his is a sinner in general.

Christ is never loved till sin be loathed.

Loving sin is worse than committing it.

God has two places he dwells in, heaven and a humble heart, so the devil has two places he dwells in, hell and a hard heart.

The hypocrite feigns humility, but it is that he may rise in the world. He is a pretender to faith, but he makes use of it rather for a cloak than a shield.

A repenting person fears and sins not; a graceless person sins and fears not.

A true penitent pursues his sins with a holy malice.

Watson writes with sharp insight and understanding of our sinful condition. He knows how we will seek to deceive ourselves in order to assuage our consciences. We need to be aware of this human tendency and grow in our ability to discern our own hearts. I believe this book will help do that. Watson's biblical tests for proving our repentance will be invaluable to any believer. The Doctrine of Repentance is easy to follow and comprehend, however, it is best if the reader takes his time to deeply consider each point and see if there may be an immediate application to his life. I can attest to needing to stop and evaluate my own heart several times. In a religious culture where the words "sin" and "repent" have fallen out of vogue, I daresay many believers have never heard the truths presented here. Watson's treatise on repentance will be a helpful addition to any believer's library, especially those who have been granted the responsibility to teach others.

I agree, every professing Christian should read this book and then pass it on. This is one of my favorite Puritan Paperbacks that is out there. This is a rare topic within todays watered down messages.

The Doctrine of Repentance took me a little while to get through. The Puritans usually packed an awful lot of truth into very few pages. I find if I just read through it I learn very little, but if I read little by little I retain a lot more.

Watson really changed my idea of repentance. There is a whole lot more in the concept of repentance than just asking God for forgiveness.

He cautions the reader about "Counterfeit Repentance" Being sorry for your sin and being repentant are very different from each other. Judas was very sorry for his sin after he betrayed Jesus, but he was not repentant. A man may leave one sin and only replace it for another. Or perhaps give up a sin for ulterior motives, such as a man may stop stealing because he's afraid of going to prison. "True leaving of sin is when the acts of sin cease from the infusion of a principle of grace." (p. 17).

Watson wrote for about 30 pages on The Nature of True Repentance, which he says that repentance involves 6 things:

1. Sight of Sin - you must first be aware of their sin before they can repent of it.
2. Sorrow for Sin - you must feel sorrowful for the offense rather than the punishment of the offense.
3. Confession of Sin - your confession is not of sin in general, but you acknowledge specific sins by diligently inspecting your heart, and take whatever steps necessary to ensure you will not go back.
4. Shame for Sin - sin is vile and filthy, and that's what it makes us. An interesting point Watson makes is that our sins are worse than those of unbelievers because we sin against light.
5. Hatred of Sin - "Christ is never loved till sin be loathed." (p. 45).
6. Turning from Sin - you must truly forsake your sin and never return to it.

Watson goes on in the book to give numerous reasons to repent, and to repent speedily. To those who plan on repenting on their deathbed he makes some interesting points. Many times death comes quick and you wouldn't know when your end was coming. Many people also loose their minds on the deathbed, so who's to say you would be in a stable frame of mind? Furthermore, it seems that God usually punishes those who have neglected repentance all their lives with hardness of heart in the end.

I heartily recommend this book to every believer. There are many truths in this book to be learned and applied. As with all Puritan books, you just need to give it the time it deserves - a quick, cursory reading will profit little.

Sadly, we live in an age where everyone does what is right in his own eyes; An age where there is no distinguishable difference between the Church and the unbelieving world. Too many "Christians" today want to be saved "in their sins" not "from their sins". But Jesus said, "... except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." There must be a change of heart. There must be a turning away from all sin. This book addresses an issue that is not heard from the pulpits of today's churches nearly as often as it should be. This book speaks not only of what true repentance is but also the importance of genuine sorrow over sin. Every believer in Christ should read this book.

Repentance is a word whose meaning and the force thereof has been incredibly diluted and cheapened. I am one of those responsible for doing so and therefore, like many others, need to be rebuked and corrected. I have known of no exposition on repentance more forceful than what Pastor Watson does here, who begins with St. Paul's address in Athens recorded in the book of Acts that God commands people everywhere to repent. He then goes on with a warning of what he calls counterfeit or deceitful repentance (p.15-17) or what I call expedient repentance whose characteristics consist of either fear of punishment only, resolution only without actions, and half-hearted repentance which has something to do with love of sin and love of the world, discussed in a separate chapter (10) where Watson talks about impediments to repentance.

The meat of this book is the nature of repentance that consists of sight, sorrow, confession, shame, hatred and turning from sin. Something that I thought interesting is when it is pointed out that though confession is directed primarily to God, there are occasions where it should be done to "some prudent, pious friends, who may advise him and speak a word in due season (James 5:16)." Then Watson adds, "It is a sinful modesty in Christians that they are not more free with their ministers and other spiritual friends in unburdening themselves and opening the sores and troubles of their souls to them. If there is a thorn sticking in the conscience, it is good to make use of those who may help to pluck it out" (p.37).

Sight, Sorrow, Shame, Hatred and Turning from sin are certainly some things we always need in an increasing degree everyday. Not only when discussing these, but also throughout the text, Watson uses some graphic and vulgar words that are both necessary and true. Something that should strike our conscience is when he points out that the sin committed by Christians is worse that that by unbelievers because Christians sin against clearer conviction. Not only are we worse than the unbelievers when we sin, but we are also worse than the devils, where Watson points out, "The lapsed angels never sinned against Christ's blood. But we have affronted and disparaged His blood by unbelief" (p.42).

While hammering relentlessly on the danger of sin, the assumption that there is no need of repentance, or that repentance is easy or it can be put-off to a later time, and hypocritical repentance, the hardening of heart which is the most dreadful state one can ever fall into, as well as an all-out commitment and action (Watson calls it endeavor) against sin, he balances it out with the hope of the gospel. What is done here is to prevent one to fall into either extreme of presumptuous cavalier antinomianism or despair. The former is cured and guarded against with the warnings of the hardening of heart and the threats of apostasy, while the latter is conquered by the hope and grace of the Gospel. Just as there is a grave danger in antinominanism, so there is also a mortal danger in despair in the sense that it "rejects mercy. It throws the cordial of Christ's blood on the ground. Judas was not damned only for his treason and murder, but it was his distrust of God's mercy [through Christ] that destroyed him." Therefore, it is critical to remember that God "has bowels of love to repenting sinners (Joel 2:13). Mercy rejoices over justice. God counts his mercy his glory (Ex 33:18-19). He is the God of tenderness and compassion No sooner do we mourn than God's heart melts. No sooner do our tears fall than God's repentings kindle (Hos 11:8). Do not say then that there is no hope" (p.103).

What I suggest is this. Get the book and after reading it, write a summary similar to what Prof. JI Packer suggested after or when reading John Owen's texts. Why? First, it is because there are indeed similarities between Watson and Owen. Both understand both theology and human heart and the corruption thereof at a depth only few ministers and theologians have. Second, though Watson is much more organized than Owen, throughout their texts, they teach so many incredibly striking truths that it is necessary to write them down on a separate note that we may be able recollect later without having to re-read the text and start all over again. Though Watson sometimes uses Scriptural references that are out of context and plenty of Latin words which the Banner of Truth thankfully translates to English, his study on repentance is a beautiful tasty bitter sweet cordial that I pray for myself and every reader, that by the grace of God, He may use to drive us into a genuine sense of bitterness and sincere forsaking of sin and the sweetness of Christ.