Thomas Frank Books

If you believe that Newsweek, ABC News, and (yes) National Public Radio are good ways to stay on top of things, skip this and buy a book by Al Gore. If, on the other hand, you would like to read a remarkable journal, you've arrived. The Baffler has no corporate advertising, is well-edited (thank god), and offers scintilating critiques of the mass media/corporate/industrial/advertising/idea makers. I sound like an ad for the Baffler: it never sounds like an ad for anything. It's a great read every time and marvelous brain tool to pick locks with.

This frontier story is a favorite of my preschooler, I think because the two main characters, young girls, confront the fear of "monsters" while gathering flowers for their mother's birthday. The fears of night, being lost, and "monsters" are all addressed in a way that my son finds reassuring. He asks to read this story a lot. It's nice to find a story that doesn't involve commercialized characters with pre-determined story plots. The artistry and text are pleasing for the reader.

Here is the economics volume of the excellent "Taking Sides" series. Each issue is approached from two opposing viewpoints (these are articles written by various economists and public policy analysts), and contains a crisp introductory summary and conclusion. This is done in a lively, very readable format.

Are profits the only business of business? Does the minimum wage play an important economic role in society? These are just two of the intiguing issues discussed in this most excellent book.

Chapter 1 -- Why Competency-Based Counseling? (Biblical themes and a competency-based model; Research supporting short-term counseling; What kind of problems do people bring to counseling? The presence of "brief" in all counseling movements; The Mental Research Institute approach to problem resolution; Steve deShazer and solution-focused brief therapy) Chapter 2 -- Assuming a Competency-Based Stance (the counselee's perceptions of the world; three ways people mishandle problems; change is inevitable; rapid change is possible; viewing people as competent; not looking for the cause of the problem) Chapter 3 -- A Map for Competency-Based Counseling -- Part I: Getting Oriented (focusing on the present and future, not the past; focusing on observable actions; focusing on tasks, not insight; focusing on goals; if it works, don't fix it; if it doesn't work, do something different, not more of the same; counselees are the experts; focus on the possible; look for exceptions to the problem; how to establish a positive relationship with the counselee; creating goals that are achievable, concrete and behavioral, relevant, and positive) Chapter 4 -- A Map for Competency-Based Counseling -- Part II Getting on the (Short) Road to Change (Using future-oriented questions; the miracle question; scaling questions; coping questions; finding exceptions; highlighting pre-session change; enhancing existing and recent successes that are meaningful to the counselee; keeping change going) Chapter 5 -- Two Case Examples of Competency-Based Counseling; Chapter 6 -- Resource Focus (Premarital interviews; cell ministry in the local church; how to define family wellness: communication, connectedness, and spirituality) Chapter 7 -- A Cautionary Note to "Go Slowly" (guarding against a Pollyanna approach; using counselee feedback; how to avoid becoming a "solution-forced" counselor)

I started reading this book as a daily devotional it was so good. The book is comprehensive, real, and extremely well-written. Minirth and Meier are amazing intelectuals who have created an amazing piece of work. Highly recommended!

Let me start by saying that I have owned the full 12-volume set for about a year and use it quite frequently as a resource. To be fair, I have yet to use this particular volume. However, as there seem to be no competent reviews on the set as a whole, I did want to add my impressions of this terrific resource.

I can say that I'm very satisfied with my purchase of the 12 volumes in this set. Every portion has been quite helpful, and this is an amazingly simple and inexpensive way to assemble a good library of commentaries on the entire Bible. Obviously the commentaries are not as thorough as one may find in other series, such as the excellent (although not yet quite complete) "New International Commentary on the New Testament" or a similar series. However, for most Christians who teach or lead small groups in their churches, this set can serve as a great resource to get started with, and one that can easily be supplimented with specific volumes that treat a book of the Bible in greater depth as those books are needed. Additionally, this resource can be more useful than a larger volume in situations where one is interested in looking at a few chapters of scripture at a time, or where one just needs to understand what a verse or two might mean. Thanks to the very clear and practical verse by verse organization, it's a terrific tool to do just that.

Also, I will add that (at the time of this writing) it should be possible to buy the entire set for around $150 or less, so I would suggest shopping a bit if you plan to purchase all 12 volumes.

Strongly recommended.

Among More's last works, "A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation" is one of his most important. There are scholarly editions, from Yale and the University of Indiana Press, and there are popular editions from Everyman and Septer that are available. More wrote this book in the Tower of London as he awaited execution, but the style is not the raging virtupretive one he used when confuting Tyndale. There are "merry tales" such as the one about the German who was never satiate his own praise, in Book Three Chapter 10, but most of the book is given over to meditation on death. More has two characters, Anthony a young man, and Vincent, his aged Uncle. They are placed in Budapest and they are fearful of an impending invasion by the Turks. More's story has been read as thinly veiled alagory of his own situation. Anthony standing in for More's son-in-law William Roper, and Vincent for More himself. That may be putting it too simplistically, but it is a good starting point. Unlike More's best known work "Utopia," "A Dialogue of Comfort" was not written in Latin, but in English. I doubt one in a thousand readers have read More's classic in the original Latin, but everyone who reads English can read More's "Dialogue of Comfort" without the aid of translation. This is a spiritual book. In this book More asks where shall comfort come from. More answers his own question: "For God is and must be your comfort, and not I."

Great story of one of our time's best architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, & his building of the Domino's Mansion in a way that was harmonious with nature. Easy to read, lots of great photos as well. Excellent book.

A friend of mine bought this book for my husband, as we are expecting our first in December. I picked it up one day and couldn't put it down. It has so much insight into the physical and emotional relationships with baby and father (and mother), right through to teen years. This will be one at the front of our bookshelf for many years. I came to amazon to order one for our friends who are also expecting. -soon to be mum, Samantha

Paperback, 64 pps, over 30 full color photos
A small book, but a very good look at Wright's glass designs, many of them as installed (in situ).