F Books

This is a great collection of philosophical theory from Lao-Tzu to Alice Walker. I love that it has sections dedicated to feminism, war, death; it is broken up into easy to follow categories with easy to understand introductions. This makes it even nicer to compare readings and do what philosophy is meant to do...wonder.

I am a philosophy instructor, and I chose this book last summer in my first intro to philosophy course.

The selections are very short and ecclectic. To object to the book on this basis is rather disingenuous because one should know that about this book prior to selecting it. That is one of the main selling points of the book for others.

This book really worked for me and my students because I wanted to give them short tastes from a broad spectrum of philosophical topics and authors. Since philosophy includes such a diversity of topics, writing styles, and time periods, and because philosophy is not so much about reading the one true theory as about discussing many contrasting viewpoints, and because you never know what kind of philosophy each student will gravitate towards (some love Nietzsche, while others prefer Socrates), it is a nice thing to be able to expose a class to such a wide array of topics, time periods, and styles from which to begin their philosophical researches.

I required supplemental readings (available online) for those philosphers that we wanted to spend more time on.

If you are looking for a more in-depth approach to each philosopher then this is not your book! But if you want a broad spectrum of fun, short readings (an ADD approach to beginning philosophy), this can be a wonderful and enjoyable first experience of the subject.

This book is used as the primary text in my university's introductory Philosophy course, and I think it's an excellent choice. It includes classic texts written by well-known philosophers and the writings of scientists, novelists, religious figures and many others. The inclusion of philosophical writings from such unlikely sources is a great illustration of how philosophy is woven into all aspects of our lives. Reading this book will help you to realize how many philosophical issues you already deal with in your own life and will also help you to find new ways of thinking about and dealing with them.

I ordered this book as a requirement from a great professor during college. Having only read just more than a handful of chapters in that semester I became hooked. I have since moved on and really started to appreciate the ultimate questions of life. Not that this book answers them. That is still the uniqueness of humanity, individual thought. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to be a better skeptic. We so readily just accept things that our ancestors accepted without a thought as to how reality really is. The wide array of topics is to be applauded and a great concept to take a look at may arenas of thought. Thank you professor Buenter(Binter).

I recommend this book for the same reasons that others have criticized it. The book is brief, clearly organized, amazingly deep, and covering a wide breadth of common sense questions.

Some members of the philosophical community are not comfortable with this. Some conservative members of the old guard are less interested in creating philosophy so much as studying philosophy that already exists. For them the study of philosophy is an ends in and of itself, whereas it should be a means to the greater end of developing your own philosophical opinions. Actually, philosophical opinions are only useful insofar as they provide a person with a framework to clearly and logically decide what they think about real issues in the world and their life.

This book is all about Applied Philosophy, a phrase I coin to describe the divorce of philosophy from the non-creative, non-applicable academic study that actually discourages people from developing their own opinions. Like Applied Physics it recognizes that the study of philosophy does not necessarily have anything to do with the paramount goal of philosophy: having your very own sound, philosophically based opinions of the world.

After all, what is the value of Aristotle if not to provoke new thinking in people who read his work and had never thought of it before? Is Aristotle the person somehow better than any other man today? Is it that words, simply by virtue of Aristotle speaking them, become true, valuable and immutable? I would take a less theistic approach to the veneration of past philosophers. I would say they are useful and commit their ideas to print so as to provoke others to think like them. Where that provocation comes from, be it Wittgenstein, Napoleon, the Buddha twirling a flower, a schizophrenic's hallucinations, or MTv, what does it matter? The product is all the same: philosophical inspirations, leading to philosophical theory, leading to applied philosophy.

Some entrenched in the academic establishment of Philosophy have a vested interest in not seeing this broad of a philosophical education become the standard. Why? Because they are not themselves trained for independent thought. After all, what need would we have for conventional philosophy teachers if this were the case? Instead, they decry anything that is readable as `over-simple' and anything that presents philosophy in layman's terms as not serious work, because they suppose that everyone should have to go through what they did to approach philosophy, that it should be difficult and inaccessible, and that it can only come from taking their classes at their universities.

If you want a revolution in education and intelligence, abolishing ignorance, then the solution is to make education and philosophy something that is easy to approach. That is exactly what this book does. It creates a broad survey of philosophy that will familiarize anyone with the issues of philosophy with out an 8-year doctorate.

My favorite articles include Pinker, Kant, Kuhn, and Popper.

This book is very readable and has been a great aid in home schooling our elementary school age children in ancient history. It delves into the whole topic of aligning the historical events of the Bible with the secular accounts of early civilizations. Great tool if you believe as I do that early civilizations followed the dispersion of people at the Tower of Babel.

Egyptian history can be very confusing when one first undertakes the study of it. In fact, the more you study it, the more of a riddle it becomes. The biggest problem in the history is not so much what happened as when it happened. The issue becomes even more compound if one tries to synchronize the Bible with Egypt's chronology. David Down and John Ashton do a great job of setting a realistic and greatly reduced time frame for the land of the sands.
When I first begin to gather info on biblical chronology I looked to Ussher. Although, Ussher does alright with later history there is so much that Ussher does not explain. Furthermore, most of the names given by Ussher are not even known to us to have ever been pharoahs. I became discouraged until I saw this book. Once I picked it up I was hooked. Here was all things that my history prof taught me but with an altered time frame. The evidence for a new chronology is quite convincing and Downs is not the only one to adopt it.
Downs who has been an archaeologist for some 50 years lets his audience know that in fact, the chronological order of Egyptian history is far from settled amongst those in his field. A greater number of archaeologists are realizing that history needs to be rewritten because a great amount of empirical thinking has beefed up the time frame of Egyptian dynasties by about 500 years. Downs believes that by reducing the time frame we are better able to understand what happened and answer many questions.
Downs also believes that the only way to gain an accurate account of Egyptian history is to compare it with the history of the Hittites and the Israelites. He believes that by a revised chronology the 12th dynasty becomes the catalyst of semitic sojourning and offers evidence for an exodus. His case is well supported by solid facts coming from all different archaelogical studies. He believes that there is evidence to suggest that Hapshetsut may be the queen of Sheba and that the 18th dynasty is much later than first thought. His belief about the Hyksos is a radical departure from classical history but if his time frame is correct it seems to make perfect sense. He also seems to place Rameses in the eighth century. I thought that was a little crazy, but the evidence he offered for that proposal is quite outstanding.
I have to admit that Downs ideas are very progressive but seem to be very tight at the same time. I do not know what Ashton's role in all of this was since it is obvious that Downs is the one who has done the bulk of the homework. Dr.Downs is also very appealing because of the way he presents himself. He seems like a pleasant man who is neither arrogant or brash. He presents his thoughts and ideas in a clear non-agressive format that has an allure to it. It is well substantiated, and when all the evidence is brought together it is clear that Downs knows his game. My only complaint is that I wish the work was much larger because it is obvious that Downs knows much more than he is telling you. I been so fascinated by Dr. Downs work that when I transfer to the University for my Bachelors in History I think I want to minor in Classical Archaeology. The book is groundbreaking to say the least. It is a must have for any student of the Bible or the land of Egypt.

My only complaint about this book is that it is too short. It is obviously based on compendious knowledge and research, and is as up-to-date as anyone could hope for, bringing a number of discoveries since the year 2000 to bear, and also a good summary of the revised chronology arguments. Although this book is very robust in aligning the history of Egypt to a biblical timeline, its real aim is showing how this is the chronology that best fits all the known facts. And it does this very well. I was surprised at the radical adjustment of the period between the 13th and 18th Dynasties, but the end result was very compelling. I think anyone not wedded to the "Old Chronology" beyond reason (as frequently happens in academic circles, before the final collapse of an old order) will have to agree that the 12th dynasty is the precise timeframe for Joseph and the period of oppression in Egypt, with the Exodus fitting in at the end of that era. I would have welcomed a bit more discussion of the Exodus itself, including the range of possible Red Sea crossing sites and location(s) of Mt Sinai; also perhaps an attempt at synchronisation of the invasion of the kings in Genesis 14 - perhaps for your next book, gentlemen?

Having before realised that the present archaeological position has the pyramids existing before the Noahic flood, which is an untenable position, this book brings the answer.

This book is a very readable book, although I'd have liked to see a bit more depth. It does however manage to put the chronologies of Velikovsky and Courville and the like into one coherent chronology and ties this in to the Biblical History, something that I've struggled a bit with, not being an Egyptologist. It provides a really helpful overview that is easy to read and is hence a good starting point to launch out into deeper studies. An excellent book.

This is a challenging book about how so many people - including Christians - have become desensitized to sin. The "vanishing conscience" is a part of our entire culture. We make excuses for sin. We rationalize sin. Sadly, we even overlook some sin and don't even realize it is there. This book really hit home with me - because it has shocked me in the last few years how "open" sin has become even among Christian people.

Besides "theory", the book is also very practical with ideas on how to overcome sin in our lives and live a consistently holy life. There is danger in thinking we have reached a high plane in the Christian life, and won't sin. Be suspicious of your own spirituality! Maturing Christians should never become smug or satisfied with their progress. (It is precisely then that we will likely fall!) It is the paradox of true holiness: the more we put away sin, the more we notice sinful tendencies that still need to be put away. The holier we become, the more frustrated we are by the stubborn remnants of sin that still remain in our life.

MacArthur is Calvinistic, and unfortunately in one part of the book he makes some extreme Calvinistic statements which I simply can not agree with... Other than this, I recommend this book.

John MacArthur does a remarkable job of closely examining the cancer of the U.S. society losing its ability to recognize sin and to differentiate right from wrong. He examines that sin has been relagated to a problem of having too much guilt, being a victim, an attack to one's self-esteem, etc., rather than something that one is accountable to. The author also examines that due to this lack of ability of society to properly recognize sin and be accountable and responsible for one's actions, society's conscience has been weakened to the point that there is no absolute right or absolute wrong, only moral relativism. As a result, there is rampant crime, business misconduct and scandals (Enron, Arthur Anderson, MCI-WorldCom, etc.), teenage pregnancy, rising rates of STD's and premarital sexual activities among teenagers, etc. After examining this cancer in society and its rammifications from a Biblical point of view, Mr. MacArthur offers very insightful solutions to this problem by addressing the nature of sin, how to handle sin, and the redemptive power of being freed and saved from the bondage of sin by the Power of God, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit. I highly recommend this book to anyone (Christian or non Christian) who is concerned about the breakdown of moral standards and the chaos in our society. This book is a must read for any Christian, regardless of denomination, who is genuinely concerned about America's declining moral standards and the chaos that has been caused by it.

John MacArthur pinpoints a terrifying tendency of American society. Today, no one is guilty. Everyone is a victim of his environment, his upbringing or his DNA. Thus, no matter what you do, there is always someone else to blame. The author demonstrates the insidious nature of this problem both for society and for the spiritual welfare of individuals. If there is no guilt, there is no need for repentance. Without repentance and faith, there is no salvation.

MacArthur gives many examples of the victim mentality. Some would be humorous if the subject were not so serious. He also thoroughly debunks the victim syndrome and shows that a sense of guilt over sin is healthy and helpful. It's like the oil light that comes on. The light isn't the problem. It's a signal that you better stop the car and fix the engine. A sense of guilt serves the same purpose as the oil light.

John Macarthur makes a very good case against the horrible turn western society has taken in the last century towards heathenism. This problem is not a laughing matter, and John obviously agrees. He takes a serious stance against sin. He shows a powerful comparison between the spiral of moralty shown in Romans 1 and the spiral of morality the United States has been rapidly taking.
He doesn't just point to the world, but he also looks at the church, who is supposed to bring light into a dark work, and exposes the many dangerous doctrines floating around concerning sin. (i.e. we should get over our guilty feelings rather than repenting of sin)
This is a good book that really exposes a bad problem. Whatever your denominational preference, this book is for you - as long as you don't have a problem with sin being called by its true name!

I believe one of the authors concerns in writing this book was to asess how the Church and individual Christians both view and deal with sin,and then to look at how the maintenance of a good conscience can help the Church of Christ have a greater influence in the world. The author sees one of the Church's weaknesses (not being a lack of effort and involvement in our society)but that the Church often becomes more influenced by the world's values than the reverse. The Church must not get sidetracked into thinking its purpose is to reform society. The Church should be salt and light but its purpose and commission Pastor MacArthur points out in the intoduction is to proclaim the gospel, God's message of salvation to save those who will repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. How our society deals with guilt and the Biblical remedy are quite different. If we are thinking Biblically guilt exists because of sin. Our society wants to rid people of guilt but not by dealing with sin God's way,that is repentance. Our culture's way is to remove personal responsibility and accountability by promulgating a victim mentality. Another way our society deals with guilt P.23 "is by classifying every human failing as some kind of disease."This seeks to remove guilt (by getting rid of personal responsibility)by making sin to be sickness. Pastor MacArthur has so much insight as to what ails our society and how that can be remedied.
In Chapters 2 and 3,what the conscience is and how it functions is an invaluable part of the book. A weak and seared and healthy(or strong)conscience are very clearly distinguished. Chapters 5 through 10 are concerned with various aspects of sanctification(The believer being set apart for God and how to Biblically deal with sin).Some of the specific areas which are addressed are:Temptation(Chap.8), Mortification of sin(Chap.7) and keeping the mind pure(Chap.9). There is an abundance of practical help to enable Christians(by God's grace) to live a more godly life.
John MacArthur gives the best definition of the conscience that I have seen on p.37"The conscience entreats us to do what we believe is right and restrains us from doing what we believe is wrong...It is a human faculty that judges our actions and thoughts by the light of the highest standard we perceive."
The conscience is an important gift that God has given to man. The reality is that the conscience in the thinking of modern man is given very little thought or relevance.To better understand what it is and how it works is of great significance to individual believers,the Church and society at large. Having said that, there are relatively few books in our day that deal with the conscience specifically(or the devastating effects of its diminished influence,as this book does) and this elevates the importance of Pastor John MarArthur's valuable contribution on this subject.

Sex, drugs, scandal, breakdown, pigeons... an alternate universe altogether. This is so far out there is is best taken with burbon. If you are a Hiiasan, Barry, Hunter S fan this book can't steer you wrong. Valerie F. de Daulles must write more! Very strong, hilarious and anomalous content.

The fun never ends when reading Velkro. The author Valerie has quite the imagination. This is a book that once you pick it up you can't put it down till you have completed it. Mitzi is the woman every woman wants to be and Hugh Jorgen is the man every man wants to be. Reading this book I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I was so sorry to have finished it. I wanted it to go on forever.

Sex (& sex change), drugs, scandal, breakdown, pigeons... What more could you ask for! A fun, quick read follows the event-filled life of Mitzi St. Bernard from her lowly start in Boston's West End red-light district to zombie cult-queen climaxing with her own(?) funky funeral. Along the way we travel with a host of other off-beat characters - human and winged! - who add all the color, perversion and dementia one could possibly handle in a single life. Ms. de Daulles takes the reader through this romp with gusto, just as Mitzi lived her life - no rest for the weary here. My visualization of Nisi's "water-bed" will stay with me for a very long time! Go ahead "doll", take a ride on the wild side!!

RARELY do I laugh-out-loud when I am reading a novel... but I did so more than once when reading this remarkable debut novel from Ms. de Daulles. This book has everything.... scandal, intrigue, murder, drugs, incest, zombies, spaceships (yes... spaceships), trains falling from overpasses (just try not to think about THAT the next time you drive under one), cross-dressing, an evil twin, and, of course, "raw, jackhammer" sex. Oh... and did I mention there is a surprise ending. Well there is!! Ms. de Daulles has created a cast of characters so vivid, so memorable, so funny, you will come to think of them as the family you WISH you were born into! Read this book!!! And enjoy the ride!! Congratulations Ms. deDaulles... Jacqueline Susann would be proud!!

Mitzi St. Bernard has to be one of the most fascinating entertainers that ever lived. She has all the sensitivity of Marilyn Monroe with the stunning features of Bettie Page. Granted, I've never seen or heard this stunning beauty but the way Ms de Daulles describes her, I fell immediately in love. Just as I thought I knew how the story was going to materialize, it continued to twist and turn until the final page. Mitzi's life was filled with heartache and tradgedy but she somehow always manged to triumph. Long live Mitzi and long live Valerie F. de Daulles and I can't wait for the next book!!!!

Under the Eye of the Clock is the autobiography of Christopher Nolan, the talented young poet with cerebral palsy. He can't walk or talk or write in the usual manner. Since Nolan lacks the use of his hands, this book like Dam-Burst of Dreams, the book of poems that preceded it, was written by means of a typing stick affixed to his head. The book succeeds both as pure artistry and as a window into the world of the disabled. Nolan has re-named himself Joseph Meehan and told his story entirely in the objectivity of the third person. This brilliant stroke allows him to avoid excessive self-pity while making his sufferings and triumphs real and deep. Nolan's use of language had earned him comparisons with James Joyce, Yeats, and Dylan Thomas. Nolan stretches the meanings and implications of words, rearranges their spelling, and even invents new ones to communicate his moods and perceptions and illuminate life, his own and those he observes, with his unique poet's sensibility.

As a college English and literature instructor, I intend to make this book a required reading if it becomes available in print again. It should bless all readers because it becomes a reminder that NO matter what the circumstances, people should still be respected, loved, and appreciated. And, with this in mind, the reader may receive a self-esteem boost when being reminded of inner-personal value. I appreciate this book so much. I have three copies and continually loan them out.

Christopher Nolan's "Under The Eye Of The Clock" is an autobiographical account of his incredibly awe-inspiring and miraculous life. Born a cripple, he could have been consigned to the rubbish heap but instead and against all odds became a celebrated writer of this Whitbread Book winner, "The Banyan Tree" as well as an early book of poems. Without taking anything away from Joseph Meehan (a self portrait of Nolan), he couldn't have overcome his debilitating handicaps to scale the heights he did without the steady support and tender loving care of his family. A father, mother and sister who are such warm and emotionally intelligent human beings anybody would be blessed and proud to have them as family. The school principals, teachers and fellow students who accepted him, nurtured him and gave him the chance to prove himself equal to the best among physically whole human specimens are themselves shining examples of humanity who deserve as much recognition in Nolan's lifestory. Although it has been compared with James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man", it is in reality nothing like it. Whereas Joyce's work is for the most part depressing and full of pain and harshness, Nolan's story is so morally uplifting you almost forget its grave subject matter. Nolan's dazzling and inventive writing style is also unique and something to relish. He coins and mints new words which have a yet found a conventional meaning but are so emotionally accurate you know they're right. Read this if you're feeling down and need something to restore your faith in mankind !

To learn about such an exceptional poet who, without the faith of his family, would never have been revealed to the world, gives the reader a new view of people's limitations. I bought 12 copies of this book (when it was in print)and somehow have given them all away over time.

I found my way to this book after I had read "The Banyan Tree" by Christopher Nolan. This was a book that I read and reviewed back in February, and ever since I have been mystified why the book never seemed to gain the wide acceptance of readers. All of the reviews that have been posted by readers for "The Banyan Tree" have been 5 star reviews, and the same is the case for "Under The Eye Of The Clock".

If you read you understand how difficult it is to write anything, much less a full book, and then have it selected for and win a prestigious award. In the case of the book I review now it was the 1987 Whitbred Award that was awarded to Mr. Nolan. All very impressive, but that's just the start.

This is an autobiography written by a very young man who next wrote the book "The Banyan Tree" and would take 12 years to do so. This is a painfully candid, but uplifting book about a man with the support of a wonderful Family overcomes extreme realities that are his life to become an Author of international renown.

Mr. Nolan cannot speak, he can barely move at all. He types with what he calls his "Unicorn Stick" that he wears on his head, and even then his head must be supported while he works.

An Autobiography is a courageous work if honestly presented. When you add Mr. Nolan's additional challenges he faces as a writer, and as a person living with his physical issues it becomes an extraordinary autobiographical book.

I hope more readers find Mr. Nolan, he is a unique writer of immense talent, and if you pass by his work you deprive yourself of great literature.

Really helped me understand what my children are feeling better. Wish I had read it sooner. Will provide reasonable steps to maximize a healthy relationship with your children.

Very good book on the practical aspects to being a divorced Dad. This is a must read if you are new to this situation and understanding the very important things that need to be done to make your children comfortable in their Dad's care.

This book is written in plain english and is brutally honest. You WILL learn how to cope with the situation you are in and how to get so much more from your relationship with your children. You may be missing the most important advice of your life if you don't read this book, now!

I have shared my copy with several divorced women who all felt they learned a tremendous lesson, just as I did.

This book has given me steps which I have started to take. Wish I had read it sooner, but its never too late. Straight guide to understand what is reasonable in an always a difficult situation. Highly recommend.

I bought this book for my husband, a non-custodial father who is suffering over the loss of time with his 9 year old daughter and from the actions of his extremely bitter ex-wife.

I read it cover to cover in 4 days after receiving it. What a great book! I SO WISH we had read this BEFORE we spent $10,000 in court fees because WE LOST and the book explains very simply why we lost and why we should not have taken our issue to court.

This book is a lifesaver for the man who has no "female qualities of nurturing" and a good reminder and support system for the man who does. It shows a "guy" how to be "like a mom" for his kids and encourages honest assessment of his lifestyle, abilities and goals in his and his children's lives.

It can be a little condescending to the man but my guess is that most men aren't like my husband who goes above and beyond the call as a non-custodial parent. This book made me feel good about the man I married and even gave me some relief regarding my anger toward his ex.

Wonderful read, highly recommended.

Really enjoyed this book! Most adults-- never mind kids-- don't have a sense of how the bits and pieces of the Bible fit together into an integrated whole. Boyd addresses this need for children in a thoughtful and powerful way. Children will be able to get a sense of the big picture of Revelation, having a new frame of reference for all the little pictures they see when the many and diverse biblical stories come before their eyes.

i am 26 years old and this book really reached out and grabbed me. even though it's a 'kids' book, don't be deceived. all walks and all ages can benefit from giving this one a read. the way 'what God has always wanted' is written takes the Gospel message from beginning to end and translates it on a child's level without diluting it!! the amazing thing is that after reading it, i didn't feel like anything was lost or looked over in the very fundamental truths addressed. i felt as though i had taken a step out of critical and opposing theological points of views and various other 'issues' that are haggled over and debated in many of the circles i find myself in, and gotten back in touch with the core message of what the Bible is saying to us. all that to say, this is an EXCELLENT children's book that i plan on reading to my kids one day, but will continue reading for myself, the 26 year old, until that day comes.

I purchased this book for my children because it tells the story of the bible from beginning to end in a way that can be comprehended by even the youngest of children. This book is helpful for the adult as well, because it help's us what God's intentions are. This is a wonderful way to share Gods Way's with your children. I plan to give this book as a gift, and to keep my copy for my future grandchildren. This is book is a keeper.

I've given this book to several parents with young children, and the parents seem to benefit as much as their children! Why? The story line of the Bible is unfamiliar to alot of adults -- even adults who read the Bible regularly or attend a Bible study group. They may have a good grasp of Bible books like Psalms or Romans. But it's a challenge to see the big picture. Boyd's book provides the 'big picture' view for children and adults.

In Postmodern Children's Ministry, Ivy Beckwith writes of the danger of reducing the Bible to "doctrinal tenets, moral absolutes, tips for better living, or stories of heroes to be emulated." Instead of using the Bible to "teach children moral lessons...we need the Bible to introduce children to God, God's story, and God's ways."

That's why I was excited to discover Charles F. Boyd's book, What God Has Always Wanted: The Bible's Big Idea from Genesis through Revelation. It answers the question, "What's the Bible about anyway?" and introduces the story of Scripture to children.

Boyd says, "I believe we do a good job teaching children Bible stories, but we haven't done as good a job of teaching the Bible's story. By setting the gospel in the overall storyline of the Bible, I believe children can better see how Jesus and His friendship is truly what ties the Bible's story together from start to finish."

Boyd clearly presents the story of Scripture from creation and fall to Jesus and the new creation. It invites children to become participants in the story by becoming friends with God. Boyd also includes a helpful glossary to help adults answer questions that kids might raise as they read the book together.

Here's the real genius of the book: it's not just a children's book, it is a "parenting book disguised as a children's book." It equips parents and teachers to share the gospel with kids in a way that they will understand.

There are lots of entertaining books, movies, and curriculum for kids. What God Has Always Wanted moves beyond the normal approach of telling individual stories and teaching moral lessons, and tells God's story. This is a very encouraging book for kids, and I highly recommend it for churches, parents, teachers, and grandparents.

This final entry--1988 marks its long-delayed arrival--in a lengthy career (starting in the mid-1940s) of scant fiction marks the end of the postwar, triumphalist, yet marginalized, Midwestern Catholic parish--and notably here, rectory--intrigues that Powers excelled at conveying. His scale, being so focused, gains accuracy and depth by its concentration upon detail. Like a model railroad set, the 1:150 (or whatever!) ratio means painstaking attention to fidelity. Such realism to the untutored eye appears grotesque or caricatured, but to an aware observer reveals a nearly exact fit of form with content.

I give it four rather than five stars as I have re-read (and reviewed here, "Morte" and the thirty stories in their original three volumes as well as the collected reissue) all of Powers recently, and I believe that his many strengths as a writer are at times clouded slightly by his tendency towards oversubtlety. A forgivable fault in an era of so many authors straining for the obvious or what critics call "overdetermining" their subject, but Powers tends in all his work towards lengthy passages where not much goes on at all, but in which an editor could have polished the presentation and refined the craft even further. Powers appears to have been his own worse enemy and his own most scrupulous critic, on the other hand. Be it as it may, Powers makes nearly all of his peers look hasty, scattered, and undisciplined by comparison.

Action over the course of a priest's youth, coming of age, and gradual rise from curate to administrative assistant (when that word did not connote a secretary or receptionist) and then pastor comprises the narrative. Less verve here than the worldlier, more urbane Fr Urban had, but perhaps in his principled if compromised (the whole crux of the tension) fidelity to the needs of separating "Church from Dreck" Powers reveals that the need for reform Fr Urban realized while Vatican II was still in session (so to speak) by the end of the decade became all the more apparent as the slow slide downhill accelerated. Set by its conclusion around 1968, if offhandedly, the Catholic Worker roots of Powers and his conservative radicalism stand his fictional main character in good stead as priests wander off, parishioners ignore crusty priests' reprimands, malls open on Sundays, the hillbilly's war machine thunders on in the small town press, and guitars with cant supplant chant.

This novel, like his earlier (sharing with it a clumsy if rarified referential title) "Morte d'Urban," (1962), suffers from arid stretches, where the humor is so deadpan, the pace so true that the inert nature of our own shared experience with the clerical protagonists appears too neatly aligned. Dullness enters. A VD quarantine warning takes up one and a half pages verbatim. A few sample sermons from Father Felix (who helps out saying weekend Masses) summarize the stultifying, yet sincere, homiletics of a certain, less soundbitten, age. So with Powers, who in this novel had been criticized as a man out of time, with figures he identified with whose era had passed them by. Joe is only in his mid-forties. He seems much older. This may be a sign of now-diminished respect, when the maturity demanded of authority figures gave an earned dignity and a bit of unearned noblesse oblige to the clergy in smaller towns where the collar still mattered. Joe Hackett manages to get through the routine, and out of the limelight that had once courted his counterpart Fr. Urban, this parish priest does his best balancing God with Mammon, as the demands of a new accounting system make fundraising all the more essential, even as this pulls at the Gospel admonition that it's better to give alms in secret. How to square this with the need to make accountable freeloading parishioners when the Archbishop's needs come payable on demand? Out of such quandaries, Powers raises his own quiet art.

The need in fiction for a jolt, a spark, a spin off from the quotidian to the profound nestles, certainly, in Powers. This, however, moves along leisurely, and often nothing seems to happen for chapters at a time. Then, you understand that this accurately limns the trajectory of a recognizably human life like our own. You can see Powers' study of Joyce in his preparation of the slow ascent to epiphanies, such as Fr. Joe Hackett's finessed blessing of a scruffy draft resister who steps to tie his shoelaces while the padre finagles praying over his head and out of eyesight or earshot as the young man prepares to flee to Canada, on the pastor's unspoken advice but according to his moral example.

Re-reading this nearly two decades after it appeared, I admire Powers' critique of not only the institutional Church and its compromises with the world, but of his own admission that holy Joes only go so far in their own zeal in battling for their losing side. They must do so, vowed to do so and called by their Maker, but Powers recognizes in his own mellowing how annoying piety and phariseeism can be for the rest of us. Not for nothing is an early battle Joe engages in at the seminary, much to the disgust of some classmates and the suspicion of his rector, over the necessity of wearing a hairshirt.

Constructed in part from stories written over the past (two of which appeared in the last of his three thin story collections, 1975's "Look How the Fish Live," the novel does let its seams show. I wonder if parts of this novel were left too long on the shelf, or in hibernation. Yet, this is how Powers wrote. Very slowly, spending days pondering if a character would use the term "pal" or "chum" in referring to a confrere. Such was his state of mind, and more power to him. Probably a patron saint of scrupulous writers, if he is canonized as he deserves! His friend and colleague Jon Hassler eulogized him as "a saint with a bad temper." Hassler notes how Powers could strain so long over a detail that a reader, even an informed one such as himself, might miss the very nuanced finesse.

The extended battle of the story that was "Bill" for Joe to learn his new curate's name appears tedious and unbelievable, a shaggy-dog tale after a few pages of the many devoted to this embarrassing and rather cryptic episode. The story earlier published as "Priestly Fellowship" enters the novel mostly unchanged, but again the dive into the post-Vatican II uproar appears muted, if perhaps less dated for its lack of topicality to specific changes so much as the persistent lack of clerical fidelity. Yet, as the novel lengthens, the episodes do build upon possibilities tucked into these two stories, and while they unfold in off-handed and perhaps overly-controlled fashion, they are truer to the texture of everyday life for being so controlled. Holiness comes, if at all, minutely slow. The lack of histrionics or forced symbolism remains despite the uneven pacing in his longer works Powers' greatest talent. Powers knew when and how indirect first-person voice carried his stories; his shift in and out of his protagonist's minds is at its best in the imagined reverie Joe lets himself into as he pitches in the yard with Bill to let off steam. As with Urban's similarly prosy--both exaggerated and ordinary-- temptation at Belleisle in "Morte," the priestly heroes let their deepest selves emerge when they pretend they are just like the rest of us. Powers, and we, know better.

A final word, quoted from one of his students in Commonweal on his death in 1999. In the novel, out of his collar on a much-needed vacation, Joe passes himself off at the hotel bar as working for a "big concern," in "life insurance." The firm? "Eternal." Sort of a multinational, he admits, although he works out of a local "branch office." Powers explained when asked in class why he wrote so much about the clergy, and if he was anticlerical. "I'm not anticlerical. I simply look for a story that elucidates truth. If a human being buys an insurance policy, that's not much of a story. But when a priest buys an insurance policy, there's something going on that needs to be said and I want to say it." It took him nearly fifty years to write it.

Anyone who has not read J.F. Powers is missing a major American voice in letters. This review will not be adequate to even speak of his skill.

Complete lives are sketched with the faintest of references, such as a family who the hero, Father Joe Hackett, brings from the city to remind his comfy parishioners of the trials of the poor (shades of the "holy poverty in the city" mantra so common from my youth). He tells their entire story with three unconnected lines sprinkled as a leitmotif throughout the narrative.

The hero's interior monologue is both revealing, and surprising. Throughout the novel faint points of challenges and grace (and simple, just-sufficient grace) carry the reader along with Father Joe's eventual conversion (rededication?). This is the story of a bumbling soul who eventually inhales the breath of the Divine.

Every person I've ever given a J.F. Powers book to has thanked me (Catholics and non-Catholics alike). Highly recommended, for this is monumentally great literature.

It is nothing short of a tragedy that more readers aren't familiar with J.F. Powers. This book is truly brilliant. Powers is at heart more craftsman than contemporary novelist, which is doubtless why he only published two novels. Wheat That Springeth Green is unlike anything else I've ever read. It's that rare novel that achieves perfection.

Joe Hackett, for all his faults, is one of the most fully-realized and sympathetic characters in contemporary fiction. As he matures, so does the book: from his hilariously overblown pretensions at the seminary, to his ennui and malaise as a pastor, to his subtly glorious final redemption.

In the final analysis, the book is not so much satire as fable about goodness. Despite being about the life of priests, the book is more a moral fable than a simply Catholic one: it's about how to do good in a world where it all seems futile. Joe Hackett is a cynic, but he's also at heart an idealist and optimist. So is J.F. Powers.

I read it in the early fall, a perfect time of year for me to read this sort of book, as it reminded me of my early years as a student at a Catholic elementary school in the suburbs. The book follows the life of a Catholic priest named Joe Hackett who struggles with faith and politics and more than anything else the shattering mundanity of his suburban life. Tree-lined streets, shopping malls, station wagons, vinyl siding, and wall to wall carpeting are Hackett's foils in a book that manages to be charming, melancholy, and very funny at the same time. Reading the book turned out to be a great way to spend a few September weeks. If anyone out there happened to enjoy The Sportswriter and Independence Day by Richard Ford, then you will enjoy this book as well.

The best of the series of books published by The New York Review of Books are all the works of J.F. Powers, who died in 1989. Powers' novels and stories are almost entirely concerned with Catholic clerical life in the midwest. I hadn't read his last novel, Wheat That Springeth Green, and I was happy to find that the new edition contained an introduction by the author's daughter, Katherine Powers. Wheat That Springeth Green is every bit as fine as Morte D'Urban, his first and only other novel written some 25 years earlier, and a National Book Award winner as well. In its treatment of character and plot the latter novel is theologically perhaps even more complex.

Joe's character is cast from the first pages: as a toddler he gets attention from his parents' friends merely for declaiming at a party "I go to church!" We also learn of his parents' antipathy towards the parish priest's intoning on the subject of the "Dollar-a-Sunday Club," an attitude that Joe will inherit, and which becomes a theme that will be played out in a number of surprising ways. We also sense something of his aloofness in these first chapters as well. He doesn't keep up with many friends, but he does seem to know the value in keeping up appearances: "Joe just smiled at Frances and everybody, so they couldn't tell how he really felt about being in the sack race..." Joe is a good athlete, even in grade school, and the race he really wants, but doesn't get, is the sprint.

Much of the story revolves around Joe's relation to money, so that even an early adventure (described in nearly pornographic detail) involving his first adult relations with women is later understood to be subsumed by his larger pecuniary obsessions. His sexual sins, or at least the memory of them, turn out to be something of a red herring: at the seminary he asks his instructor, "Father, how can we make sanctity as attractive as sex to the common man?" a question that (rightly) earns him nothing but mirth from his fellow seminarians. We are given hints that as Joe grows older he succeeds in overcoming his youthful scrupulosity. After a stint at Archdiocesan Charities he is assigned to the parish of St. Frances - a name shared by his childhood infatuation and a co-traveler in that youthful adventure. So as far as sex is concerned, there is in his maturity there a sense that all is right with Joe, if not the world. That this is the case is dramatically reinforced by the nearly hopeless entanglements of an ex-seminarian, some of which leads to misplaced retribution that Joe patiently, even faithfully endures. These episodes are magnificently structured, displaying in Joe's life a kind of fate that is worked out through choices made less in freedom than with a concern for propriety and in service to principles that are neither his own, nor of the church in which, as he says in other circumstances, he does so much hard time.

Other obstacles to holiness, as perhaps they always must, remain. Although his basic attitude is good, the reader realizes that the young Father Hackett has refused one halo in favor of another when he refuses to toady up to either the priest in his parish or to the archbishop in his archdiocese. Money matters are everywhere in evidence: the rectory built by Joe; bribes offered by parishoners; purses collected on behalf of retiring priests; inheritence; a collection drive that is farmed out to a private firm - in which Joe will take no part. All this points to beyond the contradiction in one man's character to a paradox that is funamental to our very being. How do we care for an abundance which is most fully ours when we least consider it our own?

Joe's misappropriation of his own nature, and indeed human nature, leads to a truly heinous transgression in one of the final chapters. That this transgression is committed and then resolved in secret, without comment from Joe or even the narrator, points toward a God who is as truly all merciful as he is unnoticed even by lesser beings working on his behalf. I would guess that the true thorn in Joe's side is also Powers', and while reading I several times wondered whether the crux of the story wasn't inspired by his frustration at watching baskets and plates passed through the pews, week in and week out, for a lifetime.

Very highly recommended.

I thought that the book was very insightful from the centurions point of view. I felt moved at time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend this book to all! Thank you.

We have probably all tried to imagine the crucifixion as experienced by Christ Himself. But have we stopped to think about others who were present, and what they thought and felt? A Witness at the Cross brings to life characters from the Bible and helps us understand what they saw and heard as Jesus died. The centurion who oversaw His execution becomes a real human being to us, a man who is able to question his own beliefs. This book has a lesson for everyone- from a child who may only have begun to learn the story of Jesus Christ, to an adult who has read the Bible many times. I am sure that all will enjoy it.

I really enjoyed the different perspective on the execution of Christ. The format provoked introspective thought on how I would have reacted in the narrator's position, which helped to personalize Christ's sacrifice. I strongly recommend the book.

Though i have only read the sample chapter of this book, i must be forthcomming in my feelings and say that it has captured my heart. Though i am a believer in Christ, i now fight back tears for the imaging, of the authors, that has truely struck home. I pray that all who read the sample chapter find it as compelling as i have. God bless us and praise Jesus for all eternity.

I found "A Witness at the Cross" to be a captivating story of the possible events in the life of a certain Roman Centurion mentioned only briefly in the New Testament. The story is narrated by the centurion in first person, which I think contributed prominently to the way I began to identify with the main character early on in the book. I felt as if I were there in person watching the events of the story unfold as I heard them described through the eyes of the centurion.

The further into the story I read, the more anticipation I experienced and I just could not put the book down. As I reached the end of a chapter, I felt I just had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. I think in this way the author does an effective job of conveying the thoughts and feelings of the centurion, drawing the reader to become fully immersed in the story.

I like the way the story is fictional, but based on actual events recorded in the Bible. It added greater dimensional and detail to a man whose life was deeply and lastingly altered by the brief but powerful influence of the Savior of mankind. It also effectively illustrated one of the great principles of Christianity - that anyone, no matter how self-absorbed or hardened, is capable of being humbled by the powerful testimony that Jesus is the Christ.

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