Works Books

Anthony A. Hoekema's "The Bible and the Future" is a fairly thorough exploration of all the major issues surrounding the study of last things (eschatology). Admittedly, a three hundred page book cannot do complete justice to such a complex and varied field, yet he has given us a good place to begin exploring.

In my experience, eschatology is dominated by a sort of generalized randomness ("I don't know much about the end times, but I know I don't believe THAT...") or even a passive indifference ("I'm a PANmillennialist - it'll all pan out in the end") or even a sort of sensationalized excitement ("we may not be able to predict the day or the hour, but we can predict the week and the month"). Helpfully, though, Hoekema clears away some of the confusion, cobwebs, and craziness that is often associated with the doctrine of last things.

In his favor, there are not graphs or charts (except for a few in the appendix) to try to puzzle through. He attempts to be thoroughly biblical in his approach. He does use footnotes, but they are often short and to the point, which contributes to an uncluttered text.

Even if you disagree with an Amillennial view of the end times, Hoekema is a valuable resource - as one of my professors used to say, "The best place to start looking is a good book with solid footnotes - that will cut down hours of time doing research."

While he does engage both Postmillennialism and Historic Premillennialism, he spends the bulk of his time defending Amillennialism and refuting Dispensational Premillennialism. My guess is that when he wrote in 1979, Dispensationalism was (and continues to be) the dominant view among Evangelicals when it comes to studying end times.

One negative - because it was written in 1979, it does not engage the newest wave of Postmillennialism or Dispensational Premillennialism (Left Behind series and all that). However, the critiques of both explore the biblical roots that underlie the various expressions of the theology, so even being a bit dated, it still is worth your time.

Great book. The author treats even those with different views on the subject with respect. However his writing is to convince or persuade his readers. Good read even if you don't agree with his theology.

The Bible and the Future is the single best volume written on the wide topic of "end things" (eschatology) If you really want to understand what the Bible says about "The Day of the Lord" or Christ's Second Comng, His coming at death, the after life and so on, then this is the volume for you. It is for serious students of the Bible who want a biblical, evangelical perspective and not pop-theology. What concerns me more than anything, when it comes to the topic of the end times is the fact that what may blind the church from seeing the signs is the dispensational interpretation of scripture which has been embraced by conservative churches as the literal, authoritative understanding of the end. This view, arising out the the Plymouth Brethren church, condified by J.N. Darby and polularized by the Scofield Bible, "Thief in the Night Trilogy" and the new update of this original series, "Left Behind" does not handle the scripture properly and is itself not a conservative approach to scripture but is more in line with modern liberalism. If you find this commment strange then you need to read this book and go back to a thorough reading of the whole counsel of scripture on this topic.

Good Reformed look at eschatology, giving a fair shake to all expressions of the Christian Church in regards to eschatology. It causes us to think deeply of the nature of eschatology and why it matters for life, ministry, and life in God.

many books about the bible and end times stuff (eschatology), are goofy, fanatical and just not worth the time to read. However, this one is a gem. It is sane, well researched, well thought out and really does a great job of interpreting this biblical subject with sobriety and intelligence. This book has a commanding reputation amongst more level headed bible scholars and theologians. Even if you end up disagreeing with some of the book's material, you will learn an immense amount on the subject either way. This book will educate you on this subject. It's just packed with material. Forget the popular "prohecy" books about doomsday soothsayers and world war III, and instead read this one by a scripture honoring, intelligent theologian. I would rate it six stars if there were a six star option.

My son loves this book! I love the character...and the bright colors. It was great when he was younger to look at the simple photos, and now he is making up stories about each picture. I love the fact that he is also recognizing the animals and other objects in the book as well. He is also starting to see the difference in big and little things in the house!

I love reading this book to my child, as well as all the other Leslie Patricelli we have bought. Great pictures, and easy concepts for very young kids. Buying any book by this author is a safe bet.

All of this series of books by Leslie Patricelli are adorable! They're funny and they teach great concepts. As an early childhood teacher and mother I think they are great and highly recommend them!

My 8-month old loves these books. The pictures are simple but endlessly fascinating to him, and the message is simple and clear. I read this, "Yummy-Yucky" and "Quiet-Loud" every day to him and he never tires of them. (I cannot say the same for every book I want to read to him.)

My daughter is 17 months old and I am now buying this book for the second time because she has already overused her old one. At one point she was just bringing me pages and seemed so disappointed when all I could do was turn the cardboard over. I eventually had to just throw the pages away and get a new one.

This book is easy to read and very motivating. Jim is great at making the reader think about their choices. A great book to give to friends and teenagers.

Choose Your Life! is an amazing testament to our natural capabilities as human beings. Jim illustrates through facts as well as personal testimony the ways in which we can create the extraordinary life that we all want and deserve.

One of the most important aspects of this book is that it forces you to reflect on the life that you are living, and inspires you to take consistent action to improve upon it. Make sure you use the worksheets located in the back of the book, as these tools make it easier for you to anchor Mr. Huling's knowledge and insight. This unique feature helps us truly understand that we have the ability to choose the life we want.

If you want to be a better employer, employee, parent, or friend, this book is a must. As a soon-to-be father, this book has put into perspective the person I want to be in my personal and professional life. It really helps me prioritize my needs and the needs of those around me. This is the type of book I would want my employer, employees, parents, and child to read, so that they can have the same extraordinary life I am creating for myself.


Jesse Norton
Anthony Robbins Companies

Choose Your Life is the real deal and a must read for anyone who wants to improve their life. This is not a book of mere "feel good" platitudes. Instead, Choose Your Life is the first book I have read that effectively combines a number of truly inspirational messages combined with very practical, detailed and effective strategies and exercises. Jim Huling methodically explains his extraordinary vision of how to achieve true work-life meaning and balance. He also provides a holistic, very practical and achievable method of living a life of great meaning, joy, love and satisfaction. Jim's Business of Life Articles (many of which are reproduced in this book) are written from a real world perspective and are both poignant and helpful reminders of truly important issues. Choose Your Life combines these meaningful stories and presents an achievable strategy for self improvement with real world techniques that can work for any reader. Merely follow the detailed step-by-step process Jim Huling outlines, and a more meaning and enriched life is possible. This book is easy to read and enjoyable. While no one is too old to start using Jim Huling's effective strategies, this book also makes an excellent gift for college students and young adults who are prepared to start the process of living their lives to their full potential.

Inspiring! All too often we drive ourselves to do more both professionally and personally. Often we set a frantic, unhealthy pace for ourselves. This book reminds us that it is necessary to stop and look at the life we have created and see if it at all resembles the life we want. Jim Huling's book "Choose Your Life!" offers practical and inspirational advice for examining your life and for creating a path to the life you want for yourself - rather than what others choose for you. The author provides excellent worksheets to help readers keep track of their goals and to help readers chart a course for positive growth and change. The worksheets are an essential element of this book's impact.

This book is excellent at reminding you that you have the choice everyday of how you want to live. After all, we all have only one life and it's up to you to make it meaningful and happy for yourself.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to make positive changes to their life.

Change starts from the moment of decision. So if you are undecided this book is probably not for you. I received this book as a Christmas gift and read it in a weekend. The author also has the worksheets downloadable on his website. This book is for so many of us who have read the gambit of books that promise us the "Secret" formula to the life we want. Mr. Huling simply offers us a formula for finding out what we want, what we are willing to do to get what we want and how to overcome the fear(s) associated with the journey. Excellent book for those who have read a lot of the other books out there and squeezed the useful information in those books and are now ready to do something about it in 5 steps you really can Choose Your Life! There are basically three categories of living: (1) Survival (2) Success and (3) Significant. If you are ready to Choose your Life Read this Book! I highly recommend this book!

Everything in this book, which basically explains the "clear skin" regimen, is available on Dan Kern's website (acne.org) for FREE, making this book a pointless purchase in itself.

That said, I have had some results with the "clear skin" regimen explained in the book, just not as good as others. Some things I've noticed after using the regimen:

PROS:

1) If you have never used benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) before, you will most likely get good results overall. You might even end up with a clear face, back, wherever.

2) You will appreciate Kern's empathy to the cause of acne elimination. Acne is very much an emotionally painful affliction, and empathy (not belittling) is sometimes the most important thing an acne sufferer needs.

3) When you are ready to begin the regimen, you can opt to visit Kern's website, which offers the regimen products (2.5% benzoyl peroxide, cleanser, moisturizer) at reasonable prices.

CONS:

1) Contrary to Kern's opinion, I personally have experienced my acne grow resistant to benzoyl peroxide (both 2.5% and 5% variations - 10% is too harsh). In my experience, the effectiveness of benzoyl peroxide waned after a few months, no matter how much of it I used.

2) Your skin can get seriously dried out by daily benzoyl peroxide use even with the "mild" 2.5% variation, especially since Kern eventually wants you to use about an ounce of it on your face. I used adequate-moderately heavy amounts of moisturizer after the benzoyl peroxide application, but personally there was just no escaping the dryness and peeling despite me having oily skin. Using less of the 2.5% treatment didn't help either.

3) Lastly, your clothes will bleach through benzoyl peroxide use, period. It's nice to have less acne, but when you notice your favourite clothes getting discoloured (ruined) in the process, it's almost not worth it in the end. Also, wouldn't you want to have clearer skin while wearing your favourite clothes? Sure, you could wear something under your clothes, but I personally found this to be an extra discomfort on top of my dried out face.

---

Still, I urge those who haven't used 2.5% benzoyl peroxide to try out the "clear skin" regimen. But instead of buying this book, I think you're better off buying the regimen treatment products on Amazon, or on Kern's website.

I urge you though to have realistic expectations with the regimen, as it may work at first but disappoint you afterwards.

His method really did work to clear up my acne but my skin was also very dry no matter how much moisturizer I used. I've had moderate acne for about 15yrs and have tried everything like most other people. Right now I'm using just a basic cleanser (Cetaphil) and pure grapeseed oil as a moisturizer and drying agent and it's working out okay. I read about in Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair by Falconi which I highly recommend for natural skin care ideas. (Also you can get most of the info on Kern's website.)

Dan's skin care regimen is the only thing that has worked for my acne - I tried everything from Proactiv to oral medications like Acutane. I've been caking on makeup for most of my life, since age 13, but now I finally can leave the house without it. Yes, I still break out a little before my monthly period, but otherwise, I'm all clear.
Dan Kern should win an award for his method, he is truly helping people, and not one of these Guthy Renker infomercial companies out for money. No celebrity endorsements needed; the clear skin regimen just works. I wish I had found it years ago.

Happily, Dan Kern is not a corporation looking for profit: he's just a guy who had bad skin and found a way to manage it. [...] I bought the book as a small thank you to Kern for being nice enough to provide the info for free. If you buy products thru his site, he gets a kick-back -- and if you don't, that's ok, too. For this reason, he deserves the support. Kind of like shareware for books. And his easy if not always fun regimen has been working so far, so kudos.

I didn't read the whole book. I just went to web site acne.org and followed the program. Acne is now gone. I suffered from Acne for over 20 years and tried many treatment programs from Accutane, Retin-A, Microdermabrasion and a few others. Dan Kern's treatment program was the first treatment program that actually work for me in the long run.

The cheapest and fastest way I know how to check out the program is to order 1 tube of the 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide (from Dan's Web Site) and try it for 1 week following Dan's instructions. Yes, if you goto the web site, Dan also wants you to get a Cleanser and a Moisturizer. All products are needed but I believe the key product is 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel from his web site Acne.org.

I strongly believe if you have Ance, using the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel with Dan's instruction, you will have a 95% chance of seeing improvement in less than a week.

This book is not terrible. I found it to be cliche at times, and it definitely contained a number of gender stereotypes, which the author would include and apologize for, which I found to be somewhat annoying. It's a quick read, so at least I didn't feel like I was wasting a lot of time. I have read a lot of books on women in corporations, and I didn't think this one was particularly new or innovative, and at times, the writing was poor. At the end of every chapter, there were exercises, and I did think those were helpful. For example, one suggestion was to write one hand written thank you note per week - not particularly innovative, but it is a good practice, I think, and a good reminder to do that.

In all, I think Lois Frankel's books are much better written, with much better advice.

It was a pleasure having Kathleen Archambeau host a recent Bank of America Diversity Brown Bag event in Concord, California that featured "Climbing the Corporate Ladder in High Heels". The buzz continues among male and female associates about Kathleen's book because it is not only a practical educational reference but an actionable guide for dealing with work/life balance. The book supports a core value we have taken to make our workplace a family friendly environment through inclusive meritocracy.

"Climbing the Corporate Ladder..." is a practical guide to career success. Extremely well-written. Inspires lots of "ah-ha" moments. Helps young and seasoned professionals remember to find a better work and life balance. Encourages readers to consider success from all angles. I loved it!

Not just for women. Kathleen provides important tips that all men can use to further their own careers. Provided in an easy to read and use format.

Full of insight and inspiring stories that will make any woman, regardless of her chosen field or career path, search her heart for the answers she needs to live a rewarding and fulfilling life. This book brings light and awareness to the often difficult and confusing choices we make along our journey through life. With humor and wit, Kathleen challenges us to look into the deeper parts of ourselves to identify what our true hearts desire is and then guides and empowers us with tools to achieve it.

The only thing wrong with this book is that there should be more of it.
Roethke represents a watershed in American letters, a watershed we kids slobbered down the wrong side of, the side not his. For delicacy of daring the difficult to bear, even to notice, he can hardly be surpassed, and this almost without ever choking up the voice -- his or ours.

"A late rose ravages the casual eye," writes Roethke in A Walk in Late Summer, "a blaze of being on a central stem." In such images we see the symbols of nature fully tapped in modern poetry -- and tapped in American English, in fresh, vivid language that overpowers the reader with its grace and presence. The poetry of Theodore Roethke is written by a man profoundly alive -- skirting the edge of suicide, losing his voice in the awe of love, reeling wildly in the throes of "the pure fury," and looking at last with calm eyes into infinity and his own undoing in the Far Field. Roethke was a true descendent of Whitman where the latter wrote "This is no book / Who touches this touches a man." But Roethke's poetry moves us as much by its lyrical language as by the power and wisdom of its experience. Roethke himself was, as represented by his art alone, a "blaze of being."

Among Roethke's contributions to literature are his poems that treat depression. Far from letting his manic episodes paralyze him, he used them to write some his most intense poetry. "In a Dark Time" is one of the immortal poems of the 20th century, worthy to be set aside a Van Gogh painting. Roethke was not alone in treating these subjects: two other Pulitzer Prize-winning poets of his time, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, learned from him and wrote about similar themes. But Roethke's writing stands out in two ways from these poets and other poets the 50's and 60's.

One is the unity of his work and vision -- this Collected Poems traces a single spiritual journey beginning with his childhood memories of the greenhouse, and ending somewhere among "the windy cliffs of forever", last visions tragically cut short by his early death. Between those points are rendered all of the experiences of his life -- as he wrote in his first poem, "my heart keeps open-house." But he never fails to interpret these experiences and understand their significance in the larger picture of his life and poetry. Unlike so much of the poetry of Sylvia Plath and other Confessional poets, Roethke never demands that you read his biography to understand his symbolism. Rather, his symbols develop among his poems to form a kind of mythology: his recurring symbols include stones, fire, light, "the small," and the spirit.

The other difference between Roethke and other poets of his time is his technique. Roethke is never obscure; he always writes in fresh language, avoiding cliches, although his symbols are indeed personal and take time to understand. Roethke's craft is "strict and pure," such that even the staunchest defenders of Sylvia Plath have confessed that Roethke's writing is more disciplined. The Deep Image movement of poets like Robert Bly and James Wright is influenced by the kind of symbolism found throughout Roethke's poetry, and those writers have acknowledged their debt to him. Roethke retained rhyme and meter in a time when all the conventions of poetry were being ripped apart; and he did so with a consummate technical skill not to be found in the Beatniks or in the Black Mountain poets. Roethke's ear for poetry is much more sensitive than that of other poets of his time. We are gagged by the lyricism in lines like

"She came toward me in the flowing air,
A shape of change, encircled by its fire."
("The Dream")

"When all
My waterfall
Fancies sway away
From me, in the sea's silence..."
("Her Time")

"O love, you who hear
The slow tick of time
In your sea-buried ear..."
("Song")


The most exhilarating of all these are Roethke's love poems in "Words for the Wind", which justly won the Bollingen Prize and the National Book Award. These poems are unmatched for eloquence and spiritual intensity -- and it's a damn shame that modern anthologies do not reprint them, aside from the famous "I Knew a Woman." For it is in these love poems that Roethke's soul soars, and his poetic power is fully realized.

"She knew the grammar of least motion."
("The Dream")

"Light listened when she sang."
("Light Listened")

"I measure time by how a body sways."
("I Knew a Woman").


Theodore Roethke achieved greatness in art by having the courage to confront the most intense human experiences and the skill to craft them into some of the most eloquent poems of his time. If there is ONE modern poet you will read, let it be Roethke. His "Collected Poems" is a must for every poet and every lover of poetry.

To My Sister; The Heron; No Bird; Elegy for Jane; She; Her Reticence; The Meadow Mouse; and of course, My Papa's Waltz--these are all some of the great poems that Theodore Roethke wrote. Roethke is one of our American masters. I found that when he was on his game (as he was in the poems above, among others) his poetry was phenomenal, but when he wasn't, his poetry could be awful. His earlier work is better than his later work, though he seems to have gotten most of his recognition for his later work. Still, for the poetry lover this is pretty much a required volume for your shelves.

I relished Roethke when I first read him in high school, along with Hart Crane, e.e. cummings, and the Beats. I still admired him in college, when I wrote poetry myself, and regarded most other "living" poets with suspicious disdain. Many poets I loved then have lost some of their charm for me (my loss, not theirs) but, forty five years later, I still read Roethke. Does that speak to you?

At first, I was heitant to delve into this author's work simply because I'd never heard of him in all my wide readings of poetry, both modern and old.

Don't make the same mistake I did. Roethke WILL NOT disappoint you. "The Lost Son" has become my new favourite poem, and this book goes with me perpetually, and will until I finish every line in it.

Exquisite.

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weight Loss. I believe that your book makes so much sense! I have already lost 10 pounds in a month's time by adopting many of the principles found in the book--eating 0-5, avoiding artifical sweetners and fake fat, and incorporating
more protien and less carbs into meals. I enjoy a small amount of dark chocolate every day or so...and I do not feel deprived at all! I am also exercising more, mostly cardio and yoga. Like many others, this has been a longtime struggle for me. I have tried Weight Watchers several times and found that I was more obsessed with food than when not on the program. In any case, I could go on and on like so many of your readers probably do. I just wanted to thank you and let you know that I loved your book, completely agree with your sensible approach, and will recommend it highly to others. Thanks!

I know everyone else is raving about this book, but I just don't see the big deal. In that it's one of the "complete idiot's" series, I was expecting something a little less "gimicky." However, these authors' diet recommendations remind me so much of The Zone, i.e., protein/carb/fat combo meals where the carbs are in the form of fruits & veggies. They note that our ancient ancestors didn't eat grains and suggest that we limit our consumption. I agree on the limits and like the new food pyramid where the grains are not the foundation; however, I do think eating whole grains shouldn't be discouraged to the extent that the authors discourage it. After all, barring those ancient ancestors, our more recent ancestors (i.e., those in the last few hundred years) have been eating grains, and America's obesity problem is just getting out of hand in the past 30 years, so we can't blame it on grains. The authors do have some common sense advice in the part of the plan that advises readers only to eat when hungry and to eat only until satisfied, not full (e.g., a portion about the size of your fist). The authors say that this is the way thin people eat, and we should emulate that if we want to be thin. I agree with that part. However, I was annoyed at the contradictions in the book. The authors continually suggest that we act and think "thin," but then they make suggestions for eating in a way that I've never seen any of my thin friends do. For example, the authors say that you can eat those cheeseburgers and that pizza, but when you do, eat the burger without the bun and the pizza without the crust. I've never seen a thin person do that unless for some odd reason that person didn't like bread (I don't know anyone who doesn't like bread). I think that suggestions like these perpetuate the dieting mentality. I would have prefered them to suggest eating a smaller burger or just one piece of pizza.

All in all, I don't think the book is harmful, but it didn't measure up to my expectations of books in the "complete idiot's" series. For those who like the concept of eating only when hungry (a concept I highly recommend), I suggest Seven Secrets of Slim People. This book advocates that type of eating, but doesn't suggest any food restrictions. The only aspect of the COMPLETE IDIOT'S guide that I prefer to Seven Secrets is their recommendation to eat breakfast even if you're not hungry. I believe this is necessary to get your metabolism moving in the morning.

I have been doing Weight Watchers off and on for about three years. I have gained and lost the same 10 pounds, and I have gotten nowhere near my "goal weight". Why not? No one mentioned the common sense guidelines that I got from this book in the first five minutes of reading it: eat according to your appetite and eat balanced meals that satify (rather than stuff) you. FINALLY! Very very great information about nutrition (with no hocus-pocus studies or extreme recommendations) and about how each meal should be balanced for maximum satisfaction and metabolism, and how to increase your physical activity (moderately) to support your weight loss. After only a few days I feel, for the first time in my life, a) satisfied after every meal, b) the excess weight coming off (already!), and c) completely confident that I can meet my goal weight without completely disrupting my life or suffering at the hands of the dreaded "WW points". I can do this for the rest of my life. Buy this book!

This book is really terrific! After over two years of living a "controlled carb" lifestyle, my husband and I began to get concerned about our health. Even though we lost loads of weight and kept it off all that time, we felt we may be doing our bodies long-term damage. So we tried low-fat for a bit, but started gaining weight and so we went back to low carb. Desperate to find a way to lose weight and eat healthy, we bought this book. In a nutshell, it shows you how to balance it all out. Through educating you about metabolism and even how to "get in tune" with your own body, this book puts it all in perspective. No fad dieting ideas, no gimmicks, just REAL answers to why we eat the way we do and how to eat right for the rest of your life! Exercise and stop being afraid of food! Eat when you're hungry! Enjoy real ice cream, butter and mayonnaise! Just do it right. This book shows you how.

This book is excellent. Written in easy-to-get language it manages to be both simple and yet detailed enough to go into a wide range of weight-management topics in significant depth.

I think books like this should be at least tax-free if not entirely free, as they are beyond being just self-help in the sense that they can potentially help relieve the burden that overweight/obese/unhealthy people have on our society. don't get me wrong - I mean no judgements there - I've been overweight and unhealthy myself and it's a problem which is still very much on the increase, both sides of the pond.

It's very educational and based on sound science yet you will hardly ever feel that you're 'in class' or studying; that said your knowledge of biology and the human body will definitely increase as a result of reading this book.

The real question - will it help me lose weight? Well, the answer is perhaps obvious - the book itself won't help you lose weight: your choices and behaviour will help you lose weight, but this book will definitely help you to understand how to lose weight (and why).

Buy it if

- you need to lose weight (duh)
- if you've lost weight with fad/crash-diets but know you're going to put it back on again
- want to learn more about the human body and basic nutrition
- want to teach and guide others in the subject (e.g. if studying nutrition/health on a medium level course)
- want to support someone who you know wants to lose weight effectively, safety and for good.

This book has challenged me and helped mold my understanding and practice of prayer. It calls the believer to stretch and reach further in prayer, putting faith into practice. Bounds' emphasis is on scripture and dependence on Christ.

This, no doubt, is one of the best works on prayer in the English language, if not the best. A book to be read slowly, quietly and with much concentration. Every line has good rich teaching for us all. Thanks to Baker Book House for compiling this complete printing.

About 11 years ago God drew me into an greater understanding and deeper practice of prayer than ever before in my life. I inquired concerning some of the leading "Prayer Ministries" around the world and wrote several of them and asked this question: "What are the top 25 best books ever written on prayer?" Six replied. Many of the same books were recommended, but 1st Place and 2nd Place were the same on all 6 lists. Andrew Murray's book: With Christ In The School Of Prayer was either #1 or #2 on each list. E. M. Bounds writings on "prayer" was also either #1 or #2 on each list.
No book, not even Murray's, has ever been written on "prayer" that can hold a candle to The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer. In fact, if you read this book (actually 8 little books) and it doesn't revolutionize your prayer life, then you need to re-read it until it does. If you read this book and think that it is "mediocre", that will be more of a statement about you than about this book. Seldom is any book hailed as the unquestioned "Greatest Book" on a particular subject by ALL the specialists on that subject, but this one is. And the experts are right. So bless yourself or someone today and buy this book. Then get ready for the revolution! God bless. Mike

Its one of those books that you could close your eyes, flip it open to any page, run your finger down the page to any point, open your eyes and it'll be a quote that you want to put in your sermon on prayer. Get it. Read it...daily.

For almost a century Edward McKendree Bounds' (1835-1913) books on prayer have been classic works, stimulating and inspiring Christians to develop a fuller prayer life and become prayer warriors. A forceful writer and deep thinker, Bounds spent the last nineteen years of his life reading, writing, and praying. He rose at 4 a.m. daily for many years, and was indefatigable in his study of the Bible.

As breathing is a physical reality to us, so prayer was a reality for Bounds. He took the biblical command "pray without ceasing" almost as literally as animate nature takes the law of the reflex nervous system, which controls our breathing.

Because Bounds so diligently practiced what he preached, we was able to capture the essence of prayer, and his works live on to call today's Christians to higher discipleship and an energetic, God-devoted prayer life.

This book makes a complicated machine like computer very easy to understand

The best thing I love about this book is the writing style of Prof. Freedman and how easily and clearly it can crystallize, the otherwise complex computer terminology, components and concepts. The explanations used here are vivid. I have owned a copy since 1997 and I have never been disappointed with anything that I needed to look up, for instance 'kludge' is described here as - "Also spelled 'kluge' and pronounced 'klooj'. A crude, inelegant system, component or program. It may refer to a makeshift, temporary solution to a problem as well as to any product that is poorly designed or that becomes unwieldy over time."

It will be hard to obtain better explanations than they are written in here.

There are several other similar Encyclopedias around which I have never looked at, because I had no need to look for another Encyclopedia.

Unlike most other computer dictionaries/encyclopaedias in its class, the inclusion of a companion CD-ROM gave this "Computer Desktop Encyclopedia" a comfortable jump-start in the superiority contest.
The book (and its attached CD-ROM) covered, in the most definitive way, all the important terms and acronyms that apply to today's computer and networking technologies. Hardware, software, and allied peripherals were adequately represented.
It is descriptive and well-illustrated, and included all the commonly used file extensions. With over ten-thousand terms and definitions, its scope is rich: in comparison to what exist now.
This computer encyclopedia ranks among the best currently on sale. However, potential buyers may be frustrated (at the moment) by its limited availability.

And too bad it's out of print. While this book will not teach you how to use a PC, it will define every computer related (and often electronics) term you can imagine. I was surprised on some of the really obsecure terms this book contained that I didn't expect it to mention. I got this book used and after reading over some of it, I'd say this is a must have on any nerd's desk as the it compares up there with as good as an internet search for explanations of PC related terms.

I work people whose computer knowledge varies from very little to a serious computer user. This reference manual is one book that all levels can benefit from. This book is the perfect manual to answer the questions in an easy to understand format without all that technical jargon.

The book is over 1100 pages and is loaded with pictures and figures to give a visual representation of the definition which makes is easier to understand some of the concepts covered. There is computer definitions, vendor breakdowns, and certification analysis and application definitions.

Some of the topics covered are networking, computers, MACs and applications. Some of the technologies included are CISCO, CompTIA, ATM, FDDI, Ethernet and token ring. Also included is a cd-rom which has over 5000 more definitions not included in the book. Overall a great addition to my technical library.

No doubt a prophetic genius, one has to wonder ,though, if Guenon was not also a bit of a fanatical lunatic. His assertions about the tremendous flaws in Western civilization are etched in such clear-cut shades of black and white that they leave no room for argument or compromise. In short, these are revelations that brook no opposition. However, I must admit I felt a powerful sympathy with his description of how unsane our modern world has become. But I am very cautious and skeptical about his proposal of a return to a more "traditional" culture run by an intellectual elite. This sounds like a recipe for another totalitarian system of rule. As always, who is to decide which are the "elite" worthy to rule? Bracing and stimulating, this work seems inspired, but one might wonder by whom or what.

In perhaps his most important work, _The Crisis of the Modern World_, traditionalist thinker Rene Guenon outlines his philosophy and shows how the traditional outlook is opposed by modern developments. Guenon begins by noting that the modern world has brought about a crisis, conceived by many in terms of apocalypse and the "end times" (the coming dark age of the Kali Yuga in terms of Hindu cyclical cosmology), which can only be resolved by a return of the West to the traditional outlook. Taking off from what he had written earlier in a book entitled _East and West_, Guenon notes that the worldviews of West and East are profoundly different from each other, the East maintaining its traditions, while the West creeps towards degeneracy in the form of modernism and materialism. Much of this book is spent contrasting East and West, attempting to demonstrate exactly where the West has gone astray (both in its attempts to colonize the East and in its rampant materialism and modernism). In the East, three great traditions remain corresponding to the Near, Middle, and Far East respectively. These are the traditions of Islam, the traditions of India (especially Hinduism), and the traditions of the Chinese civilization. Guenon believes that only one possible source for traditional renewal remains in the West, and that is the Catholic (meaning "universal") Church, which he opposes to Protestant Christianity or modern day "rationalism", for example. Tranditionalism places an emphasis on both "primordialism" and universality, in line with its Vedantist roots. Guenon also notes several contrasting distinctions between the traditional viewpoint and that of the modern day (the Western materialist/"rationalist" outlook). Part of this involves the contrast between sacred and profane science. Modernists emphasize profane science, attempting to desacralize nature, and place their priority in both pragmatism and the material world. Such a view has come even to relegate metaphysical notions of truth to the realm of the purely pragmatic and utilitarian. Guenon also notes how the modern day world is dominated by a mass democratic levelling brought about by what he terms "individualism". It is this form of "individualism" which has led to materialism and an emphasis on pure pragmatics (quantity as opposed to quality), although he contrasts this to the more genuine view of the traditional man which remains opposed to the encroaching influences of force, through the state for example. Guenon sees much to criticize in the democratic development of the West, seeing in democracy a form of mass levelling. Opposing these developments within the modern world, Guenon calls for a new intellectual elite, who will serve to revive tradition where it is to be found. This revival also centers around the schism between East and West. In this sense, those among the "intellectual elite" must either opt to integrate the traditions of the East (which remain viable) into the West or attempt to restore genuine Western tradition (such as that which exists in a form of decline within the Catholic Church). Guenon remains a champion of the East and notes the Western bias and attempt to dominate the traditional East, citing several sources of this problematic, where he means by the West the modern materialist-driven West and not the traditional West. This book serves as an important introduction to the thinking of Rene Guenon, who is the father of the traditionalist school which also includes Ananda Coomaraswamy, Frithjof Schuon, Julius Evola, and Mircea Eliade, among others. It serves to highlight many of the contrasts which exist between the modern world (undergoing crisis) and the traditional outlook. Guenon notes that while there is a tendency for those among the traditional camp to despair, given the bleak outlook presented by the modern world (which may be destroyed in catastrophe given its false foundations), that this tendency should be overcome, particularly by those among his chosen elite. Guenon quotes several important passages from the Gospel accounts to illustrate his point. Truly the modern world represents the traditional Kali Yuga of the Hindu cycle, a dark age of rampant materialism, and a decline from the once golden age of spiritual tradition.

In this short book, the supremely intelligent Rene Guenon manages to crystallize some of the most fundamental ailments of modern society. He is neither afraid to examine from a traditionalist viewpoint all recent intellectual "developments" in science along with the callow, bigoted perceptions of modern philosophy, nor does he shy away from criticizing democracy and the notions of socio-political "progress," or the diluted and comical nature of modern religion. Consistency and holistic understanding are Guenon's hallmarks, and he demonstrates it well with this succinct volume.

This work is genuine treasure for all those capable of fully comprehending reality and naturally find themselves alone and at odds with contemporary civilization. Serves as a good introduction to the general orientations of authentic traditionalist thought. Guenon expands on this work significantly in its companion volume, The Reign of Quantity.

The scholarly world is never too short of what is in vogue as `critiques of modernity' that another addition to this stock would have been redundant. Guénon's The Crisis of the Modern World however, is not simply `another' of this but is distinguished by its profound wisdom, transcending conventional approaches that either diagnosed the symptoms and not the real disease or carried from an exclusively `philosophical' viewpoint, oblivious to the fact that `philosophy' itself is among modernity's offspring. Guénon's theme is sophia perennis, or primordial Wisdom, which seeks to resurrect the sacred metaphysics that lies at the root of the world's major religions.

Guénon begins with the premise that the modern world as we know it corresponds exactly to the period of Kali Yuga (or Dark Age) in Hindu cosmology, similar to the Iron Age in Western traditional doctrine, a time when the forces of matter reign supreme and spirituality has been thoroughly eclipsed. In fact, history itself is a gradual process of declining spirituality and "progressive materialization", so that at the last phase of the human cycle (or the darkest of the Dark Age), mankind shall witness the abundance of material prosperity as has never been witnessed before, while simultaneously impoverished spiritually and utterly divorced from true intellectuality and hence truth itself.

Intellectually, this decline is especially evident in science and philosophy. Philosophy - `love' of wisdom - became wisdom unto itself; `physics' - the science of `nature' in its totality - became a science that deals with only a portion of nature; astrology degraded into astronomy; alchemy degenerated into chemistry; and all that was once meaningful and bound to truth transcending the domain of matter and the world of sensible experience is reduced to bare facts bereft of truth, meaning and purpose. It is no wonder that the modern man today feels alienated from the world, from each other and from himself. The ancient sciences were invariably bound to metaphysical principles found in the world's great religions, made possible by the eminently religious and theocentric character of the earlier people. Truth for them is one, just as God is One. The different orders and aspects of Reality are but reflections of this same, single and universal truth. Whichever angle the truth is approached, contradictions only appear at the surface so that `specialization' would eventually lead to the convergence of the various disciplines, which explains why the ancients were so adept at mastering several different branches of knowledge at the same time, insofar as mastery of certain basic laws underlying all of reality permits their application to many different domains.

Modernity by contrast, is built upon the spirit of opposition to religion (think of the Renaissance, Reformation and the Enlightenment) and therefore hostility to metaphysics and truth. Once the ultimate Truth is denied, the ground is cleared for the manufacture of many different "truths", tending naturally towards relativism and nihilism that are so prevalent in today's world. Indeed, relativism is the logical outcome of rationalism, this in turn being the result of humanism and individualism, which of course, is the "determining cause of the present decline of the West." Descartes' rationalism, instead of raising man to transcend himself towards truth, seeks to drag truth down to the "purely relative and human faculty" of rational thought. The mental outlook that made this possible is materialism, "a conception according to which nothing else exists but matter and its derivatives." Now this is significant even symbolically, for matter is essentially multiplicity and division, hence the source of strife and conflict.

This decadence even manifests itself in the social order - from the separation of religion from the state, the triumph of mediocrity over the wise (democracy), the spread of `mass education' (which compromises the uniqueness of each individual) to the rise of the cult of `originality' in the intellectual domain, for whom it is better to create a new error than repeat an old truth. All this are but manifestations of the same catastrophe - neglect of spirituality, hence the loss of unity.

Materialism is also tied to Western domination. The East has been traditionally religious, but in the face of (material) challenge and encroachment by the modern West, is now compelled to adopt the materialistic worldview to compete in this profane realm and in this regard, its religious past is certainly no guide. Where else would they seek guidance and `light', if not from the very civilization in which materialism organically springed forth? This is in fact how the present age fits neatly into that last phase of Kali Yuga as Guénon understands it, namely that the darkness of materialism will ultimately bring the whole world into its dominion (long before `globalization' and `end of history' became common lingo), marking finally the end of an era, i.e. the end of a human cycle, or Manvantara, where `the wheel stops turning.' This is when chaos, conflict and strife will erupt as never before, a time known in Christianity as the reign of the Antichrist and in Islam as the era of Dajjal.

There is a way out - for the establishment of a spiritual elite to lead the masses out of this darkness. This elite necessarily has to operate covertly, like a secret puppeteer when others could not see the strings, for the masses have become deeply entrenched in their materialism, which continuously creates in them more artificial needs for materiality than it can satisfy. In the West, the only institution capable of bringing about this change is the Catholic Church, which alone is in possession of the sacred traditional doctrine of Christianity. Yet even then, Guenon remains skeptical and calls for the Western world to summon aid from what modicum of true spirituality is left in the East, unadulterated by the `modernized' outlook that is fast making headways throughout the Orient.

This book show us the roots of our modern world. This book is for those that, unsatisfied with the course os the modern world and it?s oppressive materialism, are looking for convincing explanations, out of the common political and economical vision. The author examines the deep factors that conducted our world to it?s present unbalance, demonstrating that, since the Middle Age, the Occident went further and further away, with increasing velocity, from the principles that ruled all the humanity until that momment. Principles that presume an hierarchy of values, from the highest (spiritual) ones to the basic (material) ones; principles that are within the essence of the traditional civilizations, that harmonize man and nature. We find examples of traditional civilizations with the north-american native tribes (as the Hopi and Sioux, among others); the Tibet, before the chinese invasion; the medieval Japan... Ren? Gu?non (1886-1951), with this book that is at once masterly and accessible, don?t give us illusions about the future of our civilization. Instead he provides us with new and wide horizons, with tools that enables us to evaluate and stand up to the great challenges of the modern world crisis. It's the best way to make a first contact with Ren? Gu?non and the traditional view.

Luiz Pontual (irget@reneguenon.net), director of Ren? Gu?non's Institute, April 9, 1999. See our site irget@reneguenon.net and buy our book at Amazon.com