Works Books

The style and format of this book was different from LTCSA but it was equally as good. This book focuses on Rachel, the once loose daughter of Pastor Simon is now a pastor's wife herself, but not at her own will. She goes thru many trials and tribulations. Drama is not a short fall in this novel. It's a very easy read and even if you don't read the prequel you can still get into this one. But I would suggest it so you can follow to see how all the drama began. This book had a twist at the end that I was not expecting. After reading this I eagerly await a third installment. If not about Rachel then we can peek more into the lives of her brothers Jonathan and David who have drama for yo momma! Surely Ms. Billingsley will not leave us hanging.

I love this book it is very good from beginning to end. I did not want to put this book down. But I am looking for for the next part because I want to know what happens next......ReShonda Tate Billingsley is a wonderful author. I enjoy all of her books.

This book was a great and I am praying there will be a sequel. If you haven't purchased this book, shame on you. Keep up the good work Ms. Billingsley!!!

I finished this in two days. It only took this long because the kids would not let mommy read LOL

This is a great book. Very realistic. Beter than watching a movie. I highly recommend it. I cant wait until the sequel.. Will there be a sequel? Please let there be a sequel.. LOL

I really enjoyed this book. I could hardly put it down. Hated for it to end.

I HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK YET BUT HAVE SKIMMED OVER IT. INFORMATION LOOKS TO BE WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. SATISFIED WITH PRICE AND PURCHASE.

My husband and I are in the process of adopting a teenage boy. I purchased 4 books to prepare myself for possible situations that may arise. This was by far the best one of those I have read. The book was very easy reading and quite enjoyable. The book describes actual events from different case studies and had alot of helpful info. I found most of the other books boring and hard to get through. This was straight to the point and offered real life solutions and explainations for certain behaviors.

This book is an excellent discussion of the ways adoption is experienced by all members of the triad, with particular emphasis on the normal developmental issues adoptees face at different times of their lives. Joyce Maguire Pavao is clear and forthright, sensitive and reassuring. Her wise insight is illustrated with examples and the poetry of adoptees. I highly recommend this book.

As the attorney for many adoptive families I sometimes find myself filling in information that social workers haven't provided, or at least haven't provided in a way that the family understood. A couple of issues that come up often are, "I've been told that adoption is not the same as birth parenting, but exactly how is it different?" and "How will adoption affect my child through out his or her childhood." I find that many families do not understand these issues before they adopt. This is the perfect book to put in the hand of a prospective family. It is also great for families experiencing adoption related challenges who feel that they are unique and alone. This book gives them comfort and understand. It is a great resource. It is short too, families like. Thank you Dr. Pavao.

As an adoptive mother, I have read and collected a shelf full of books on the subject of adoption. Joyce Pavao's well researched and thoughtful book, The Family of Adoption, is one of the very best. It's the first book that I recommend to anyone interested in or touched by adoption.

Joyce Pavao, herself adopted, encourages the reader to look at adoption from all perspectives. She shows us that understanding the important connections that exists between birth family, adoptive family and adoptee is essential to appreciating the complex emotions that accompany these bonds. Her careful explanations helped me to understand that although our daughter's birthmother is half a world away, she has always been a very real part of our family. Pavao uses poignant examples, selected from her years a therapist, to illustrate how adoption effects all members of the triad. Her use of real life scenarios brings much needed clarity to some very complicated concepts and makes this book very readable.

Included in the chapters devoted to the adoptee at various ages, is useful advise on how to talk to your child about adoption in age appropriate ways. She also gives simple, understandable advise for parents to help their children process information and feelings in different ways at different developmental stages. She helps the reader understand how each new developmental stage presents a unique set of challenges for the adopted person and how some seemingly troubling behaviors can result.

In The Family of Adoption, Pavao presents a very complex subject in a very straight forward and understandable way. She also provides useful and practical advise in a book that that is ultimately informative and very readable.

I purchased this book as a gift for an elderly friend, who is familiar with this series. She thoroughly enjoyed it.

I absolutely loved Bostwick's other book, River's Edge and was eager to read this book. Like River's Edge, this book is beautifully written and has wonderful, expressive characters. However, the first 100 pages contain such a sappy love story and I was so disappointed. Once I got past that part, it became a much better read and surprised me with a few plot twists. All in all, a good book but not 5 stars.

I'm a tad late reading this book but it didn't diminish from the wonderful story and great writing.
Filled with emotion and characters that felt like I knew them. I was very impressed with the way the author took a real person and weaved a clever plot of fiction.
Now I need to "catch up" and get the rest of Bostwick's books that have been released since this one.
If you haven't read Fields of Gold yet....don't wait any longer!

Loved it, loved it, loved it. I couldn't put it down. I am an avid quilter, so I loved reading how she made that into a business for herself. The book includes great themes, love, true love, friendship, hope, hopes crushed, and a few surprises to boot. I look forward to reading her other novels and am excited to have found another author to list among my favorites.

I just loved this! Unlike anything I have ever read. I had to go buy copies for each member of our book club, and thank you Marie, for signing the book-plates for each one. A good choice for a readers group, there is much to discuss - relationships, history, values, etc. We had a wonderful discussion about this book last night at our meeting.

Marie is an amazing writer. I read her newest first, River's Edge, 2006 which was so very good, that led me to seek out her first effort. It did not disappoint. In this historical fiction, the author meshes a main fictional character to a significant historical character, and with well-researched accuracy. The unfolding storyline grabs the reader at the onset and doesn't let go. You will be reading far into the night.

The main character is Evangeline (Eva) an innocent and crippled young woman who was born with a physical defect. You will admire her, and love her parents - her mother's determination and her fathers love as they raise her. You will get attached to all of the wonderful characters in this novel, which is primarily set in the time prior and during WWII and revolves around historical events of the era. Eva is a talented quilter, and throughout the novel we see how quilting helps her deal emotionally and financially with the events of her life, and assists in her maturity as she struggles with her parents to survive the hardships on her parents Oklahoma farm.

I had one slight complaint about the ending - I wanted more information about one conversation. I was pleased to hear from the author that this is being addressed in the sequel which should come out in fall of 2007. One of the things I loved best was at the end of the book there is a section called "A Chat with Marie Bostwick" that gives the reader so much insight into the writing, the research and the author. I highly recommend this book, and her River's Edge as well, for anyone who appreciates a well-written novel, and a whole lot more than just "romance" - don't miss this. Both these novels make my "favorites" list.

Gloria Bernal
January 2007

This is my first foray into N.T. Wright's literary discipleship. This is good written stimulus that will lead you to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. This collection of Eucharistic sermons expands from the passion of Christ to the revelation of the Father's plan for true discipleship. The language is easy to read and Dean Wright uses great words and pharases to lead us further along. N.T. Wright has become one of my must read theologians.

This book, though brief, contains a treasure chest of Wright's knowledge on the life and significance of Jesus. In "Following Jesus", Wright seeks to answer the question, "Who exactly is this Jesus that we claim to follow?"

With the thought that many Christians might not know exactly who Jesus is, due to years of watered down religion, Wright uses different books of the Bible, along with personal scholarship, to extract who Jesus was and what that means to those who follow him.

A phenomenal read. Extremely enlightening and refreshing.

This is my first time reading N.T. Wright's books, though I've read an essay and heard him speak. This is an unbelievable book. The first half of the book walks through the New Testament and describes each author's view of Jesus and what it looks like to follow Him. The second half seems to walk through some of the major issues of discipleship and what it actually looks like to follow Jesus. I loved it and will go back to it again and again.

For years I'd scoffed at Bishop N.T. Wright thinking him a backward-looking, anti-intellectual Christian with nothing to say to the contemporary world. I was wrong. And I'm glad to say this book started it all.

After reading several books on revisionist views of Jesus, I've concluded (very, very reluctantly) that the Jesus presented in "Following Jesus" is the only Jesus really worth following. Here Wright gives us a glimpse of the Jesus of the gospels, a Jesus who is the Savior of the World, a Jesus who makes huge demands on our lives and calls us to follow Him to Calvary. This Jesus tells us disturbing things about ourselves, the world, and how both are in need of repair. The good news, as Wright points out, is that G-d has begun to recreate the world through Jesus of Nazareth. In this short book of sermons, Wright shows the new creation appearing by looking at Jesus' teaching, his healings and, perhaps most of all, his resurrection. The new creation has already begun, yet it will fully arrive in the Age to Come.

This book set my heart aflame for the Christian hope. Although the world suffers and humans fail in love (again and again), there is a G-d who raises the dead, a fact that--when it's internalized--gives life its proper focus.

Thank you, Bishop Wright, for this powerful little book.

Tom Wright, Anglican bishop in England, once again elucidates in a cogent but thoroughly readable style that only he can what it means to follow Jesus. If one is a sometime Christian who does not want to 'count the cost' of what it means to 'be Jesus' to a hurting world, you'd better avoid this book. In a world full of evangelists who promise 'what's in it for us' if we follow Jesus, Tom Wright challenges us to really take up the cross and follow the Lord. As a Southern Baptist, I can't think of another theologian, of whatever denomination, that is more challenging and encouraging than Tom Wright. Buy it, but be prepared to keep your marker handy.

Great application of different portions of Scripture, relating to people and specific places from the viewpoint of one who knows the land of Israel. Especially appreciate the personal applications and prayers.

I was so blessed to spend a semester studying in Israel while attending Bible college. I never realized the extent to which geography impacts Scripture. Studying in Israel brought the geography and culture to the front of my mind as I read Scripture. Anything that aids in understanding geography and culture, therefore context, is invaluable. Going Places With God reminds me of my time in Israel as it is so insightful and informative to those so easily overlooked and misunderstood portions of Scripture.

Any good realtor worth his business card knows: Location is key! In Going Places With God, author Dr. Wayne Stiles explores the link between landscape and landowner.

Dust off your spiritual hiking boots and get ready to travel the Holy Land in an entirely new way. From Eden to Egypt, look at the places of the Bible through the eyes of the Landlord. Written in a devotional format, Going Places With God leads readers to experience the trials, journeys and difficulties of mankind from Adam-the-first to Adam-the-last. Discover God in the geography of His world. Meet Him for a stroll along the paths history has carved on the crust we call Earth.

Along the way, Going Places With God will strengthen your spiritual walking muscles. . Dr. Stiles presents meaningful insights in an easy to read manner, leading the reader into a deeper understanding of the Bible and its application for daily living. Through ninety devotional studies that include Scripture references, exposition, maps, prayers and motivational quotes from leading Christians, you will be invited to take a walk with God in His backyard. I'm so glad I accepted this invitation!

Wayne Stiles brings an insightful and contextual look at the Scriptures. This devotional walks the reader through a variety of Biblical teachings rooted in the location and context of Israel. Each devotion focuses on a Scripture passage, the author's insights, a prayer and a closing quotation.
The quotations selected for the reading are good, yet unfortunately a bit narrow in scope with a significant lack of diversity in gender, ethnicity and nationality. (For example, out of the 90 devotions, only 5 devotions included quotes from women). The quotations are a very minor portion of the devotion but with such a rich tapestry of the Middle Eastern culture to build on, it is disappointing that a fuller voice was not heard. That being said, one would buy this book for the words and insights of Mr. Stiles. This book is unique in its perspective and stands apart from the average devotional book sold today. The maps and pictures are also excellent and fit quite nicely into the context of the entire book. I highly recommend this book to others.

It's challenging to capture the impact this book has had on my appreciation for the Scriptures and the geography of the Holy Land! Wayne Stiles' purposeful choice of words is like honey dripping from a wooden spoon! Each insight has depth and the applications are timely and thought-provoking! The Word of God is engaged with reverence and used in context. He incorporates maps and site photos, which is helpful for those of us who live far away from the Holy Land, or just need a reminder about geography!

Thank you Wayne for writing such a masterful devotional! In my opinion, it is second to none!

Every so often I would go through several NT books in Greek as a discipline and this volume will be my constant guide. If you don't have it get it. It is worth the buy.

A very helpful and handy companion to the Greek New Testament. Not only it locates the conjugations of every verb in the Greek NT, it also serves as a grammatical commentary where applicable. You must own one if you are serious in studying the New Testament.

This book is a great tool for intermediate Greek students. It parses and defines unfamiliar forms and words and provides helpful syntactical comments.

This is simply a must for the student of intermediate Greek (i.e., one who has just completed his introductory grammar). Here's why I say this:

This is the ideal tool for learning NT Greek through induction. I love studying grammar deductively, that is, studying the principles and rules (a priori), but the average person will find that deductive study isn't quite enough. Even with examples, the rules tend to get lost in the heap. One needs also to gather up particular instances of the manifestations of those Greek rules of grammar as he goes in a real text (a posteriori) in order for the principles and rules to really take root (IMHO). Here's where 'the Jesuit' comes in.

As you read the NT you will encounter--invariably--forms you can't parse and words whose definitions you have not yet memorized. While having a lexicon handy, and consulting it liberally, also consult Zerwick's Grammatical Analysis and you will identify the word and its parsing. He will then possibly refer you to a section from his companion book (which you must get) called Biblical Greek (ISBN 8876535543), and it will tell you what the deductive intermediate grammars have also told you, but quickly and succinctly. By studying an intermediate grammar plus this book you wind up with a double whammy of inductive/deductive study!!

I have, in fact, only one criticism of this publication: it is not physically user-friendly. One cannot open it up and lay it out next to one's Greek NT. It's kind of laborious, putting down, picking up, putting down, picking up, when you're basically just doing the same one or two pages of text in a sitting. And it is just a little guy. When you get it you'll be like, "Oh, it's dinky!" It's real thick, though--like a little red brick of goodness. It's covered in thin red plastic for a cover, which may reduce its longevity if you're not careful. But, whatever. Get it!

Yes, in case you're asking yourself, this and the "Biblical Greek" mentioned above are indeed two of those things that are 'must-buys' for the student of Greek, imo. These, plus the BDAG lexicon (3d ed.) and Wallace's "Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics" are the bare minimum for the Greek student. Everything else is just gravy. But what do I know.

Note- Don't fret (if you are so inclined) about the fact that this is issued by Rome and that the scholar is a Jesuit. As a Roman Catholic turned Calvinist, I can tell you that it is my impression that Zerwick goes where he believes the Greek points, period. He's a true scholar, rip.

This book provides a verse by verse analysis of the Greek NT. Greek words are printed in Greek letters throughout, flowed by a short (one word) definition and partial parsings. There is also coding to Biblical Greek's . So if you get one book, it would be best to get the other as well.

The information is helpful but hard to follow. There is just too much information packed in, with lots of abbreviations and notations that have to be remembered. And as with Zerwick's "Biblical Greek," this is an advanced exposition. Beginners will get lost in it. A similar but easier to follow resource is Fritz Rienecker' s New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, The.

I only rarely referred to either of these volumes as I was working on my Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT). So I cannot really recommend either. I just think there are easier to use resources available. I present a full list of all of the resources I consulted in working on the ALT in my Companion Volume to the Analytical-Literal Translation: Third Edition, with asterisks indicating the ones I found most helpful.

It should also be noted that Zerwick's theological orientation is Catholic. This can be seen in his attempt to get around the clear meaning of Matt 1:25, where it says of Joseph and Mary, "and he was not knowing her [fig., was not having sexual relations with her] until she gave birth to her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus" (ALT3). The natural reading of this is that after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary began having sex like any normal married couple. This is then confirmed by Jesus having four brothers and at least two sisters (Matt 13:55,56).

But Zerwick comments, "... until (the time when) but not excluding the continuation of action beyond the time indicated; author only concerned here to indicate virginal conception."

Notice that Zerwick does not give any examples of when "until" (Gr., eos ou) does not exclude the continuation of the action. But compare the other places where this Greek phrase occurs in Matthew: 13:33; 14:22; 17:9; 18:30,34; 26:36. In all six of these verses this phrase does exclude the continuation of the action after the time period indicated.

To be clear, this means the phrase indicates a change in behavior after the time period indicated. So in Matt 13:33, the woman mixes yeast into flour; but once it is thoroughly mixed, she stops mixing. Here, Joseph was not having sex with Mary; but once Jesus was born, he began having sex with her.

The meaning of the Greek phraseology is clear, but Zerwick is allowing his pre-conceived theology, not Greek word studies, to color his comments. This is yet another reason I cannot recommend this book.

After a bad experience for my wife, I bought this book for her and I. I feel that husband's should read it as much as their wives, since what happens in this office effects both. It should be a State requirement to be in every OB/GYN, office, or required reading at least in regard to Fibroids and Endometriosis,is concerned. If every doctor believed in handling patients like he does, there would have been no need for the Patients Bil of Rights.
This book is written in very simple terms and very good explanation's to every aspect of diagnosis, treatment, and anesthesia. A very honest author, with a great group of people offering advice from their areas of practice.

I've read a LOT of books on women's health - seems they are often written too casually by laypeople (with lots of anecdotes that may or may not be true). The ones written by doctors are often too long and too technical. This book bridged the gap perfectly! The Dr answered not only many questions I had, but many questions I didn't know I needed to ask. I was at first disappointed that my library system didn't carry this book -- but after I bought it from amazon.com, I was glad I had. I was surprised to find it an interesting read: definitely a keeper!

I bought this book several years ago, and it remains a favorite recommendation for others. Information is presented clearly and is easily understandable. Furthermore, Dr. Parker has a website that you can visit to reinforce the information in the book and contact information if anything needs clarification.
A must have for women and ob/gyns alike!

A very useful book. It discusses various gynecological problems and bladder problems, diagnosis, and treatment options. Unlike many books on the subject, this book includes newer treatment options, for example, totally laproscopic hysterectomy techniques that can preserve the cervix, and allow faster recovery. Discusses the risks of various options; even includes a few statistics.

I love this book. Its like having an owners manual for your female parts. It was easy to read and covered all the problems a woman faces with their reproductive system. I bought lots of books when facing a hysterectomy, and this book was clear and to the point without scaring me to death. It will stay on my shelf because it covers common problems like fibroids, embolization, ovarian cysts, abnormal bleeding, common bladder problems, hysterectomy options. Its written clearly and helped me talk to my Dr.

I absolutely love this book! Susuns way of teaching is so matter of fact and not so technical that we can understand, and gives you this urge to just try.
Gabby

Great book, good author.
Just what I was looking for

Anyone interested in herbalism in any way needs to read this book. Susun is most definately a grandmother of herbalism to the next generations that follow the herbal ways.
Susun is delightful in her writing and is also very public about everything she writes about. Truly teaching us about the herbs themselves and how to apply them.

I got a bit confused on her way of describing dandelion in her french accent writing about the plant, but now that I have been exposed to a french teacher, I am more comfortable with understanding this section of the book and should re read it.

But that is Susun's playful style and how the plants are in relation to her.

If you practice herbalism in any degree, this is a must have book.

Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise looks at health and healing from a completely different perspective than any other resource I've ever consulted. Instead of looking at illness as something needing medication (as in western scientific medicine) or as the result of some sort of bodily imbalance (as in traditional eastern medicine), this book looks at illness as an opportunity.

At first, I have to admit that this concept sounded really strange to me. What sort of opportunity is suffering from Chronic Fatigue or having to deal with the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis? However, as I continued through the thorough and easy to understand explanations of the wise woman tradition, I began to understand more about the principles behind optimum nourishment.

Basically, this concept requires that we learn to take care of, accept, learn from and love ourselves at every point in our life process. To do so, brings about change and further opportunities to nourish our being. Thus, if we have an illness in the traditional sense, then we need to take the opportunity to learn about ourselves and fully nurture our being before we can ever hope to release the seemingly negatives aspects of the situation.

Wise Woman Herbal: Healing Wise has me intrigued with the wise woman tradition. I find the concept of a spiral healing pattern (as opposed to the linear pattern of western medicine and the circular pattern of traditional eastern medicine) fascinating. I also like that this book gave me a distinctly different way to think about my health. I am extremely eager to learn more about this tradition.

This is a wonderful book filled with wisdom and love. The author has presented the reader with a simple, clear cut, and hands on approach to herbalism. The reader is presented with the 3 traditions of healing, scientific, heroic, and wisewoman. After reading this book I decided to get involved in naturopathic medicine and stay clear of the scientific and heroic traditions of healing. Susun Weed has such an apporach to her writing, reading the book makes you feel like she is by your side guiding your hand as you prepare your simples. This is truly a book to cherish through out the years.

I have some real mixed feelings about this book. On the one hands I really like how Mr. Whyte used such unconventional ways to get his point across (he uses poetry to point out the flaws in the corporate world), but on the other hand, a lot of the points in the book made me scratch my head and go 'huh?!'.
The material is very deep and even where there is supposed to be just a small, simple message, Whyte seems to make it complicated so that the meaning looks to be more profound.

How much of our corporate productivity is impeded by pettiness and posturing in the workplace? Seems a corporate healer like David Whyte is needed to stand for finding and reminding folks of a different bottom line.

Whyte has a unique capacity to make powerful connections between the inner core that fills us with emotion and caring and the places we do our work, sometimes even at the place where our job is located, though not often. His observation that we leave as much as 55% of our true self "in the car" each day when we go in our office to work is so powerfully true. I dare say there are few among us who cannot relate to that feeling. And yet, it is the 55% of ourselves that the company we work for really wants and needs but rarely gets. Unfortunately because of the patriarchal environments that many organizations (not always corporations or even private sector businesses) create we all too often find no real fulfillment in the workplace. That is sad because I never have read any mission statements that pronounce "We ABSOLUTELY are not going to have fun or like one another around here." That makes me think that the realized, oppressives outcome are not intentional. However, we often find ourselves working in and hating very dysfunctional cultures, even if not by design. Whyte introduces the concept of hope in a effort to replace the all-too-present doubt and hegemony of the workplace. We may not be able to express ourselves freely at work but Whyte allows us some freedom to dream of that possibility during our reading of this book.

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! If you have a soul, buy this book. If you are not sure....buy this book. This book is an excellent exploration into the meaning of life + my job the incubus = a poetic awakening. David Whyte is a wonderful philosopher.

David Whyte writes in a truly inspiring way. When I worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium many of us read this book as we struggled to grow better as an organization. This book was the catalyst to many personal "AH HA!" moments. Not just for me, but for many of my colleagues as well. From there I found myself in love with poetry again too. David's poetry is powerful and meaningful. The heart aroused is your own, and worth coming back to.

Great books to help one to grow spiritually and to understand scripture as it was intended to be understood. Also great for daily application to one's life. Very good source for priests to prepare for homilies. If you want more nourishment with regard to homilies, these books are ideal.

I love it. As a Catholic seeking daily meditations, it was exactly what I was looking for. Though the price may seem steep, buying the books as a set saved me money over buying each book individually.

In Conversation with God, is a fantastic series of books that are helping me reflect and meditate on God and His love. They follow the Liturgy and give great advice on how to deepen one's relationship with God and with those around them through daily work and family life. I don't always have a lot of time to sit down and read, however with these wonderful books I can read a couple of pages in as many minutes and feel revived and inspired. These books are for EVERYONE. If you have a need to sit and converse with God and feel peace, these are the books for you. God Bless!

A wonderful series of daily thoughts and meditations based on the Catholic readings of the day that helps you realize what's important in living a good Christian life. The best daily readings that I have come across. A must have for every home!!!!!

If you are looking to follow the liturgical year, but the Liturgy of the Hours has left you feeling like you want something more, then I can't recommend this series more highly. It is very hard-hitting, but not theologically complex. It stresses holiness, and adds praticality (not the other way around).

The author is very sacramental, very well-versed in Church teaching and the Fathers of the Church, very Marian, and very loyal to the Holy Father. He quotes scripture, Church fathers, Councils, and, of course, Josemaria Escriva. His grasp of morality and human behavior is incredibly insightful and probably comes from studying traditional Catholic wisdom in pastoral matters.

The readings tend to follow the Gospel, and even on Sundays he has separate sections for each cycle of Sunday readings (A,B,C). There is so much material here, it can provide a lifetime of reflection and inspiration.