Works Books

If you took the poignancy and moving love story of "Bridges of Madison County", sprinkled some of the spiritual wisdom of Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra, and added the ingredient of heart-tugging romantic music into the mix, you would have something approximating "Midwinter Turns to Spring." Not only did this novel and its music stir feelings in me I've never felt before, but while reading it, I would often close my eyes to ponder and experience the profound truth in the author's words. Alfonso's words, "I find that, in stillness, I am transported to that remarkable place where I can know God and be aligned with his wisdom" were reminiscent of Eckhart Tolle's assertions about being fully present. With stillness comes a knowingness that loving another human being is God's way of affording us "glimpses of His unfathomable love." I was also awestruck by the transcendent definitions of love that the author managed to weave into the dialogue. I've found that they've helped to redefine and liberate my own concepts of love. Brandon's words, "Love is not just a feeling - it is a choice, a commitment, a way of behaving toward another" is a concept worthy of the late Leo Buscaglia's teachings about love, and one that more people should embrace. "Midwinter Turns to Spring" stirred me emotionally and spiritually, and moved me to tears. I'm certain that all who read it will come away with not just another feel-good love story but will savor the same enlightened experience that I've had.

I love "Midwinter Turns to Spring"! I can't remember the last time I cried reading a novel. It made it more special listening to the music soundtrack -- and I cried even more listening to Zendrik sing, especially "La Ultima Vez." The book has given me a renewed sense of hope about love. It is such a touching, beautifully written love story and a feel-good type of book. I fell in love with Alfonso right from the start -- so passionate, caring and loved life so much. Savannah is what every girl can relate to. We have a little bit of Savannah in all of us. And the way the author described every place and thing and feeling was as if I was there. I've been telling everyone that this is a must-read book!! This certainly deserves to be on Oprah's Book Club and I've written an e-mail to Oprah telling her so. This book rocks!

"I enjoyed 'Midwinter Turns to Spring' so much -- it was such a lovely story, so believable and so well-written from beginning to end. The characters just came to life for me. Throughout the whole book, I was just riveted to it, and couldn't wait to find out what would happen in each chapter. I'm an artist by profession, and therefore, I loved the art aspect of the story -- it intrigued me and drew me into the world of the characters. I cried on numerous occasions throughout this book, but at the end when I read the letter from Christina to Savannah my heart just broke for them all. Whenever I read books, I usually tell the story to my husband as I go along -- and he got as engrossed in this story as I was. When I finally finished reading the book and was trying to tell him the ending, I just fell into his arms and broke down sobbing. I was so happy with the ending and I just had to fall in love with the character of Alfonso. The whole package is beautifully done -- from the book cover to the companion music CD. It's simply marvelous -- and I told my husband this book needs a big audience, and should be made into a movie -- I'd love to see it come alive on the big screen because the story is so lovely. Maria Veloso is an incredible writer -- I wish she'd write more novels like this."

I just finished reading "Midwinter Turns to Spring" last night! Amazing! This is the best book I've ever read! I did not want it to end! I loved listening to the music soundtrack while reading the book, curled up on my sofa with a glass of wine -- what an unforgettable experience!

I am a fan of Oprah, and have read many of Oprah's book club picks -- and I think "Midwinter Turns to Spring" is very worthy to be a part of Oprah's book club. The messages, emotions, and definitions of love given in this book should be shared with the world.

Maria Veloso is an amazingly talented writer. Before I read this book, I had stopped believing in love because of so many marriages I've seen end up in divorce. This book made me believe that love does exist and is something one can find if one chooses to. This book also strengthened my faith in God and reminded me to trust in him and follow his plan for my life. This book is life-changing -- it certainly changed my views on life. I've recommended this to all my friends and will be ordering more copies to give away as gifts.

Wow! I just finished reading "Midwinter Turns to Spring" and I can't say enough good things about this novel and accompanying CD. What a literary piece of work! This novel is one of the best love stories I've ever read. The accompanying CD really took me to a whole new level while reading the story! I hope that the author plans to write another piece of work like this one. The author has such a gift for writing. I can honestly say I just became so engrossed in the story I felt like I was watching a movie as I proceeded through the book. What a wonderful idea and interesting concept to incorporate music into the story...I definitely had a deeper understanding and relationship with the characters while listening to the CD. The music is just beautiful. I've played the CD so often my 3-year-old now walks around humming the songs.

this is a great book and i received it just like i expectd to receive it.

We have read this book repeatedly, and my first-grader enjoys it every time. Now he enjoys reading it to me. Great for beginning readers.

WHAT A JOY THIS BOOK IS. THE STORY IS FUN AND SO CUTE. ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES TO READ TO THE CHILDREN.

This is one of those that is an absolute delight to read to and with kids. A mouse, minding his own business is caught by a weasel who of coure plans to whip up a batch of Mouse Soup. Our fast talking little mouse simply talks his way out of the dinner by telling the weasel four delightful stories, thereby distracting the weasle and at the same time, teaching the weasle a good lesson. The illustrations are great the the story telling is of the highest quality. Cute is a word that is over used, but in this case I have to use it because it fits so well. This work is almost along the same lines as the famous Uncle Remus tales, but in many ways is more appealing. I liked this one and do highly recommend it. The art work alone is worth the price of the book.

I have to bow to a superior opinion in rating this book. After reading it to my 5 y.o. son, I had come to the conclusion that the subset of stories were pretty lame and uninteresting. I mean one of them is about two rocks that get lied to by a bird (or so the rocks think). And another is about a rose bush growing out of a comfy chair.

But my 5 y.o. informs me that I don't know what I am talking about. This book is great, he told me. And he convinced me that this was true by doing something his active little self seldom does: he went and got the book off his shelf and dragged his father over to the couch so that dad could listen to him read the stories. [Could have knocked me over with bookmark.]

The AR Reading level for this book is 2.4 which means that the Accelerated Reading committee, and it's software, suggests this book for Second Graders in their fourth month of school.

[The AR designation is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.]

Four Stars. This book has a mouse cum Scheherazade premise: A weasel captures a poor little mouse and the mouse plots to get out of being eaten by telling stories. The stories the mouse tells didn't appeal to me, but my five y.o. son sure liked them. The AR reading level indicates the book is suitable for Second Graders.

This is a great reference book. Even though I think that the some of the information is a little outdated, it can make a great reference for the newly diagnosed.

Excellent book for the newly diagnosed!!!! Written in a well understood and caring manner, not as matter of fact and scary as some I've read since being diagnosed. A big thank you to the author!

Answers many of the questions asked by new or fairly new MS victims. Knowledge is power.

This was really good reference book. Most of those questions that you don't have time with your Dr to ask, are answered here.

I bought this book for a friend who has ms. She read it and was very pleased with the contents. It answered many of the questions she had about the disease that her doctors didn't answer for her. It is an excellent resourse book for any ms patient.

I recently had the privilege to attended a workshop with Robert. The experience left me with a desire to know more about him and his work. I purchased his book and could not put it down. Robert's personal journey to follow his calling and heartfelt relationships are inspiring. This book allowed me to look deep inside myself, explore my biases and feelings about humanity in general. This book is a must read and will change the way you view our prison system.

When I first participated in one of Bob's community building workshops I left wondering what potential the process held in other situations. It all makes sense after reading this book. A simple idea -- be vulnerable and take ownership of your opinions and your past, don't judge, listen intensely, and don't be afraid to grieve for your past failures, sufferings and pain ... and those of others. This process has changed the lives of so many individuals that the rest of society has given up on too easily. You won't look at innmates and former convicts the same. You hopefully won't look at yourself the same either. Read it and it will open your eyes and heart. Thank you Bob!

I found this book by accident when i was searching for more infos about life in Americas prisons. I got this book with the intention to read sometimes a few pages because my time is very limited . it turned out that I had to run to work for to be not too late because always when I spent my time with this book I forgot everything else around me.
That's just how interesting this book is. Fascinating to me was the fact that with each page I read, I found my own thoughts or a proof of the things I already knew .
I spent the last 6 years with communicating with prisoners in America. Often it is hard to believe what's going on in these places. Some people may find it hard to believe what Mr Roberts has to tell within this book but I can assure everybody that everything you read is true and based on real life .
Mr Roberts changed his whole life for to bring some changes to a few people .I hope everyone who reads this book gets an idea of how serious the criminal and justice problem in America really is and starts to help to make a change
PS: For everyone from Germany , you can order the book by amazon.de.

Heartbreaking in its simplicity and insight, Dr. Robert's journey is one every tax-paying American should take. From his personal committment, establishment of Project Return which pushed his career in radically different directions, to his work with indiginous populations, Dr Roberts casts himself as very much the student. This is a position very few 'civilians' have experienced. I know. I'm just finishing my 30th year in law enforcement.. This is must reading for professionals and citizens alike. You will finish this book as a changed person.

A moving account of one man's search for a path to truth, a path by the following of which society as a whole can benefit. While this book is subtitled: An Unlikely Journey Behind the Walls of Justice, it is so much wider in its applicability than to the insitutions wherein it was born. In his exploration of 'community building', Mr. Roberts has written a remarkable prescription for society as a whole to adopt and apply to heal the profound wounds caused by the segregation of its members into disparate islands of fear, hurt, and hate. As for the application of this process to both the incarcerated and returned prison population itself, truly remarkable results have resulted from so doing. Mr. Roberts has addressed a core concern: "Without proper support, however, transformation is a long hard road. Because most of (the incarerated) are unprepared, most of them fail [become recidivists upon being paroled or pardoned]." Robert's combination of community building and techniques developed from his insights into the human social condition garnered while studying prisoners directly should be seriously examined by all states concernd with reformation of those who offend its rules. The results from so doing offer a path to real freedom, the transformation of a person rather than the brutalizing perpetuation of antisocial behavior consequent from incarceration as it is currently administered. Finally, this is a remarkable and inspiring read.

I purchased this four volume set when I was studying Greek at Denver Seminary, back in 1989 as it was highly recommend by my Greek professor. I used it quite a bit during seminary and even after that in my personal Bible studies, and more so when I started working on my Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT).

The arrangement of this set is by English not Greek words. But the fourth volume provides an index to where the discussion on Greek words can be found.

For each entry, the English word is given in bold, then the basic Greek word in a box. Then variant forms of the Greek word are given and synonymous Greek words, each with an English equivalent. Then the main article begins with a discussion of the use of the word(s) in classical literature. Then there's a discussion of the usages of the word(s) in the LXX translation of the Hebrew, OT, often indicating what Hebrew word the LXX was translating, and finally is the discussion of the usage on the NT.

So lots of information is presented, and if you read through the entire article for a word, you will definitely gain full knowledge of the history and usage of the word. However, the thoroughness of this set can sometimes be a drawback. It is just too much information and takes too long to read through. Most of the time when studying a word, you don't need that much background, so standard lexicons, like the ones on the BibleWorks 7 software program, provide sufficient info.

But that said, I am glad I purchased this set when I did. I didn't refer to it that often in my translation work, but on the occasions that I did, it helped to clarify how to translate a particular word.

For instance, some claim that "porneia" only refers to prostitution. The article in volume one of this set explains that this was originally the sense of the word. However, by the time of Christ, "porneia" referred to any kind of sexual intercourse outside of a Biblically lawful marriage (pp. 497-501). As such, I rendered this as word as "sexual sin" with the alternative translation of "fornication." I explain in more detail the reasons for these renderings in the Glossary contained in the Companion Volume to the Analytical-Literal Translation: Third Edition. The information for that glossary entry was mainly taken from the article in this set.

This set is also helpful when working on articles for my Web site. And it would be helpful in sermon preparation.

All that said, this volume is rather expensive. So only get it if you really think you will need in-depth word studies for transition work, sermon preparation, and the like. Less expensive lexicons and software programs will provide sufficient information for less serious Bible studies.

`New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology' edited in its English translation from the German by Colin Brown, is the most useful DICTIONARY on this subject I have found over the last two years of teaching Bible study. It is a true dictionary, with a primary focus on Greek etymology in classical Greek literature (Homer, Hesiod, playwrights, Plato, Aristotle, historians), the Greek translations of the Old Testament, and the New Testament, with distinctions made between Synoptic, Pauline, and other uses of the same term.
Before acquiring this work, I wrestled with `Theological Dictionary of the New Testament', edited in German and completed around 1933 by Gerhard Kittel, and translated into English by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, which has 10 huge volumes filled with a wealth of information, except that everything is organized by original Greek terms, and my reading of Greek is simply not up to snuff yet. So, while I have never been disappointed by this resource, it is simply too clumsy to use for the quick check on a meaning.
Brown's translation, on the other hand is marvelously organized by English words, with a transliteration of the Greek into English characters, followed by the original Greek script. Super, when the term you want is one of the major terms. A fly enters the ointment when the term you want is secondary to a more common word. I ran into this situation when I tried to look up `mute' (kophos) which my annotated Bibles told me could bean both deaf and dumb. Well, there was simply nothing there in volume 2 (G - Pre) under `mute'. By this means, I discovered the great value of Volume 4, the `Indexes'. `mute' was here in abundance, with the primary entry (within the entry for `dumb') highlighted, and I was merrily on my way.
I discovered an even greater value to this work when I looked up `hypocrisy', to help me understand the use of the word in Luke (who happens to use if far less frequently than Matthew). A recent lecture on Matthew stated that `hypocrisy' didn't mean the same to the ancients as it does to us. I did not entirely trust this observation. As I stated above, this Dictionary gives at least three different interpretations of words, one for classical Greek, one for Old Testament (LXX) Greek, and one for New Testament Greek. Well, classical Greek did mean an actor or explainer of narrative in dramas who may have performed with a mask. But usage in the Synoptics is virtually identical to our modern meaning. Even better, Luke's quote of Jesus may even been a metaphor using both meanings, one who explains as well as one who does not believe what they preach.
I was even more pleased with the book when it confirmed an interpretation I had of Luke's use of `yeast', which disagreed with the notes in my study bible. Brown, et. al. even went so far as to point out the common mis-interpretation of `yeast' in this context.
You may be using `Vines Complete Expository Dictionary', which puts everything in a single volume and is keyed to Strong's concordances. I've used Vines often, but I also often find this book light on interpretations in all parts of scripture. Vines is good, but this set of four smallish volumes is better for quick, but discriminating reference. Of course, it also has all the usual scholarly doo-dads, which are great, but not as important as the sound, discerning interpretations.

We are very pleased with the service and product. There were a few glitches but were cleared up immediately. I am very happy with the service. Thank's to all involved

A must for any bible study. As Greek has been transliterated there is really no need to even know the original language. The articles are AMAZING!!! AMEN!!!

The transliteration of the Greek is the only draw-back to this work as personally I prefer the Greek terms and in the Greek word order.Allow me to explain why. I do not use the NIV, though I know it to be a trustworthy translation, thus I tend to come directly from the Greek text to this. Thus I usually find the term, I am searching, in the transliterated indexed 4th volume. So if this was in the Greek word order and untransliterated it would prove easier. But enough of my crying! It IS WORTHY TO BE PURCHASED!

I also supplement this set with 'Theological Lexicon of The New Testament' by Ceslas Spicq, which tends to develop words the NIDNNT and Kittle have omitted. The TLNT is in the Greek word order and untransliterated, so it may feel odd to some who are not yet aquainted with the Greek.

Without question purchase the NIDNNT prior to the TLNT by Spicq as you will gain far more use from it.

soli deo gloria

I hate to be the only one not giving this a 5 (but four means it's great). [NOTE: My rating was accidentally registered as a five] Others have already highlighted how great this is. In many respects, it is superior to Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (10 volumes). I've owned my set since 1980, when it was three volumes (the current fourth volume is an index). I can't give it five stars because 1) organizing by English words is very difficult and annoying for those of us who can look it up in Greek word order, like all the other Greek resources (20 minutes learning the Greek alphabet is all it would take for someone who doesn't read Greek). 2) Like so many other works geared to both those who read Greek and those who don't, it uses transliteration in the articles. I think that's the ONLY thing I like better about Kittel's - no transliteration! 3) This is not cost-effective compared to the absolutely outstanding and inexpensive "abridged" version of this set (see more below).

I've used DNTT for years. I always come away from reading articles quite edified. It's a tremendous resource. It's so good I overlook it's organizational faults.

However, consider the following:

Zondervan quietly put out an abridged version of this. Nothing important is missing! See my review of the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology - Abridged Edition here on Amazon for more details. That is only $23, while this four volume set is $93. That uses the odd English based organizing system, the abridged is easier to use and all words are listed in Greek word order. They crammed the information into one volume by shrinking the type (still plenty big), moving to a double column format, and making the book taller and deeper than the original size. Read more about it at my review.

If you are considering this set, you may want to consider the abridged instead. When I've used the abridged, I never feel cheated because they kept all the relevant stuff! I have all the major theological dictionaries of the NT (TDNT, DNTT, Exegetical Dictionary of the NT, and Spicq's TNLT) and I use them routinely. I'm telling you that the Abridged version of this is not a kiddie version. It's the real thing. It's the best kept secret in scholarly resources for the NT! Don't feel like you're slighting yourself by getting the abridged, you're not. Now the abridged Kittel's, by contrast, is a different story. That was a serious abridgement and a serious compromise of the original. I sold that on eBay. I retain and use the original.

A great supplement to this set (or the abridged version) is Spicq's Theological Lexicon of the New Testament. See my review of that. It is far more theologically refreshing and insightful than either this set or TDNT (EDNT is the most bland, but it has its strengths).

May God bless you in your pursuit of a greater understanding of Holy Scripture.

This book is a humorous recollection of what many remember as bad days away at summer camp. The experiences had me wondering how she survived all of them and lived to tell the tale. Unlike most camps, the camp which Schneider attended had no solid rules making for some interesting experiences.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who has ever attended a summer camp, and for those who haven't, I will assure you that this does not happen at all camps.

I looked forward to reading this book each night. Although I'm about 15 years younger than Ms. Schneider, my memories of Jewish summer camp are similar. Ms. Schneider remembers the feelings of young adolescence so well and captures the funny small moments that are so true! This is a story that I want to share with my sister and friends.

This book delivers what it promises---a camp story. There isn't much else here, just the story of one summer at a camp in Maine. The camp wasn't what was advertised, but it turned out to be a great summer for Mindy anyway, especially in retrospect. I think the book aims to mean a little more than that, and be about discovering character traits, learning about appearances vs. truth, etc, but I don't think it really does that. It just tells in a fairly amusing way what the summer was like.

I am not a big camp person, having crawled home with homesickness after a few days both times I tried to go to overnight camp, but I read this book as it was set in Maine. However, it was only in a very small way about Maine. There are a lot of summer camps in Maine, and overall I think they aim to have as little contact with "the locals" as possible. This camp had a bit more than some, due to some property issues, but overall the locals are portrayed as fairly scary Deliverance types. One girl is shown not to be, but Mindy never even learns her name and seems a bit shocked that a local could be nearly human. I grew up in Maine during the time period of this book, and I don't think campers from other areas would really have any clue how different their lives were than most Mainers, and would have no idea how this could create resentment.

From that perspective, it was interesting to get a look at Maine during that period from the other side! The writing is well done and enjoyable. If you went to a similar camp to the one Mindy did, you would probably really enjoy this book. Just don't look for a lot more.

A must read for anyone who ever went to camp in the Northeast in the seventies. Reminded me so much of Camp Matta Wacca in Bear Mtn, NY

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read, much in the style of David Sedaris. The author has bound together virtually every experience a child could have at a rustic, ramshackle Maine camp. Her perspectives are priceless. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever persevered through a summer that ends up feeling nothing like the sales pitch originally presented by the camp owner.

From the moment I first picked up this book, I had the hardest time putting it down. So many times I thought I'd read a couple of pages but then I would still be reading a couple of hours later. Chandra Prasad's On Borrowed Wings is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I loved Adele, the main character who attends Yale disguised as her deceased brother. From making friends, giving reading lessons in her very little free time, and defining herself in an all male ivy league university, I found myself rooting for her all the way. I hope there will be a sequel or even a movie made from this book!!!!

The year is 1936. In the small town of Stony Creek there lives a family of four. There is the mother, a washer woman who used to be a privileged daughter of a professor until she married the father, an Italian quarry man. They had two children, a boy, Charles, and a daughter, Adele.

Charles is the apple of his mother's eye and is being groomed to go to Yale on scholarship. Adele is her father's favorite and her mom is preparing her to be the wife of a quarry man and a laundress. The problem is that Adele is smarter than her brother.

This would have been the path that they would have taken except that Charles and his father are killed in a quarry accident. Adele then disguises herself as a boy and takes Charles's place at the all-male college of Yale. Once there, Adele has to adapt to being a boy, take on a eugenics professor who is trying to prove that all immigrants are unintelligent, and try to be an average freshman in college.

She befriends three other boys and an Italian family that almost adopts her. She proves to be very brave and spunky. There is also a visit by Emelia Earhart to the college, which is a wonderful scene.

I absolutely loved this book. The main characters of Adele and her mother, Gertie, are interesting and many-layered. It left me wanting more. I want to know how Adele becomes Adele again. If she finds love with the rascally Wick. Does she ever reunite with her mother and her mother's family? How will World War two affect the lives of these characters? Believe me, you'll want to know, too!

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

Have you ever fallen in love with a book so deeply that you wanted to keep it and read it again and again? Maybe this is a normal occurrence for you, not so for me. I am a love `em and leave `em reader. Once the last page is read, I am on to my next conquest. That was until I read "On Borrowed Wings".

This book moved me beyond words. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised. The book is unpretentious. But when you read the pages, this matches to perfection with the main character, Adele Pierta.

The author places the reader in the middle of the character's quandary, which is to marry a quarryman. In the 1930s, the little town of Stony Creek had three classes of people. There were the cottagers, who were rich vacationers that visit the little Connecticut town from May to August. There were the townsmen, the town's merchants and businessmen. And last were the quarrymen. They worked twelve hour days, six days a week mining granite.

Adele's mother had once been a cottager. But when she married a quarryman, her family disowned her. This rejection drove her mother to educate Adele's brother so that he'd have chance to go to college and not end up a quarryman. Adele's father insisted both his children be educated, but there weren't many opportunities for women.

The same day Charles, Adele's brother, receives an acceptance letter to Yale, a freak mining accident takes his life along with their father. Rather than be forced into an early marriage, she changes her appearance to look like a man and goes to Yale in Charles's place.

"On Borrowed Wings", so appropriately titled, is the story of Adele's first year at Yale. She transforms from a shy, wispy girl into a force to be reckoned with. It's a true treasure of a book!

What a fabulous book! I was very enraptured with Adele Pietra's story. She was a very likable and believable character and Ms. Prasad drew you into her psyche very easily. You were always left wondering what would happen next and how Adele would handle the next situation. It was definitley a page turner! I was left wanting a sequel!

maybe it's just me, but whenever i walk into a bookstore lately, it seems like the majority of female authors are either rehashing history (i.e.The Other Boleyn Girl) or wallowing in crass 21st-century consumerism (i.e. Shoe Addicts Anonymous). how refreshing, then, to read "on borrowed wings." chandra prasad uses a vivid historical setting to tell a story that is fundamentally unique, despite the long literary tradition of gender-swapping tales; she creates characters and moments that will continue to live in your mind long after you've finished the book.

in fact, your first thought upon reading the final sentence will be to wonder whether ms. prasad plans to continue adele's story in a subsequent book, and to hope that she does.

with its insightful handling of difficult themes and its sensitive depiction of late adolescence, this book would be an excellent choice for high school english classes.

The book Origin of Illness is wonderful. I'm almost finished with it and I was amazed of how much I could relate to some
of the things in the book. It's an easy read and you get into quickly. It's amazing how true it is and makes you think!

If you want to know what is DESTROYING your life, what is BEHIND your illness, depression, unhappyness and so on, you OUGHT to READ this book! This book will help you to better understand problems in several areas of your own life and in the lives of others. It will give you many answers through plenty clinical examples of analysis and explanation of how everyone of us make use of the so well described destructive force in our lives and how we can deal with it in a very practical way.
If you want to IMPROVE your HEALTH and living quality , you OUGHT to read this book!

In writing The Origin Of Illness Dr. Norberto Keppe has offered to the world a hithereto unperceived solution to the problems of Man.

In a very thin volume Dr Keppe explains the absolute root of all collective and individual malaise whether it be psychological, social or physical.

Origin of Illness offers to the reader an appreciation of the insidious effects in all our lives of the phenomenon of Envy, an attitude prevailing almost universally which is nothing but a useless refusal of all that is good and beautiful and worthy in our lives and in the lives of others.

Don't underestimate Envy, for Envy ITSELF is total underestimation; a tragedy in waiting for all who suffer it.

Dr Keppe explains the mechanics of Envy itself explaining that it is an attitude of denial and as such is not directly perceived save by its effects. Dr Keppe continues in his exposition to explain that so abominable are the effects of Envy in our own consciousness that we seek constantly to erase all awareness of them, even projecting them onto others so that we may feel 'free from stain'.

Dr Keppe clearly elaborates how consciousness is not as 'negotiable' as we think and that we cannot, as we believe avoid the effects in our lives of what we don't wish to perceive. In fact to believe that awareness can be negotiated is ENVY itself.

The Glory of this little book is the unveiling of the fact that our very resistance to consciousness of the effects of our Envy is the source of all our illnesses.

As the book explains, Envy can be the reason we do not 'get' the message of the book. Knowing this we are forced to admit that any uneasiness we feel about the content is affirming the content itself.

This Work is Dr Keppe's compassionate gift to all of us. It is a life changing book, a book which will answer many previously paradoxical conundrums in the lives of those who read it.

A thin book this may be---and Envy will lead us to believe that it contains a thin message, while a careful and humble attention to the contents will even save lives.

The Origin of Illness was well written and because of the constant interpolation of snippets of analysis session dialogue more interesting than Glorification, Dr. Keppe's other book.
The most striking thing about Analytical Trilogy is that its basis is clearly a secularized version of Catholic Theology. A.T.'s essence is Keppe's broad definition of "Envy", a dead ringer for the Catholic doctrine of Original Sin. ( I say the Catholic doctrine because, while the Protestant Reformers also taught Original Sin, their definition was quite different.) In fact, Dr. Keppe twice in the book uses the term original sin in connection with Envy.

The alalogy hold up quite well with A.T.'s "consciousness" equivalent to Catholic "conscience", the is, the ability to distinguish good from evil.

Although strictly speaking the analogy ends there, but one can't help but see the Keppean psychoanalyst as a replacement for the priest in the confessional.

Also, one wonders where all the needed pschooanalysts the world needs are to come from.

Keppe clearly sees A.T. as the only solution to the problem of envy and inversion with the accompanying problems of delusional projection.

The low pointof the book can be found on pages 94-95 where Keppe gratutitously offers an unsupported and, in my view,unsupportable, attach on the crusades, the 1991 Iraq (incorrectly called Iran) War, and Clinton's denunciation of Brazilian child labor. I suggest this attack has more to do with Dr. Keppe's own feelings about authority figures (in this case the popes and presidents) than any psychopathology of the accused. Projection?

The A.T. system itself because of its fundamentally moral views strikes me a more acceptable approach to Christians in need of psychoanalysis than traditional Freudian approaches. The book itself does a good job of explaining why.

This book is fundamental reading for anyone who desires a deeper awareness of himself and others and especially the world in which we live. It is also basic reading for a better understanding of the unique and innovative work of the renowned psychoanalyst, philosopher and social scientist, Dr. Norberto R. Keppe.

In "The Origin of Illness" Keppe describes the three stages that lead us all to these conflicts and difficulties, and how through consciousness of this vicious circle we can improve our lives, our relationships and society. The author gives many practical examples, which we all can relate to, including excerpts from a number of his client's analysis sessions.

The first part of the book deals with the fundamental human problem, which is envy. This deep and hidden envy which is in everyone, to a greater or lesser degree, makes us blind to all that is good and beautiful in life, and consequently hinders or even destroys, all opportunity for development and progress.

The second part of the book addresses our fear of perceiving and dealing with our shortcomings. Keppe explains that the problem isn't having a problem, but in not seeing the problem. And this is our dilemma: how can we solve our problems when we do not admit that they exist?

The final section of the book deals with projection, which is the process of seeing all of our own problems or qualities in other people and things. Because of our enormous resistance to self-knowledge, we turn our eyes to the external world in an attempt to ignore our internal psychological life. Instead of seeing that the cause of the dissatisfaction is inside of me, for example, I blame my partner, my parents, my workmates, the city in which I live, etc. Projection is the cause of human conflicts, and the end result is that we to lose contact with reality and ourselves.

This book gives a whole new expansive perspective of the psychopathology of the human being and the civilization we have built. It provides answers to the question of why we experience so little true happiness in our lives and why we destroy the good in ourselves, each other and life in general.

The Oxford Companion is a must-have shelf reference for anyone intending to seriously study the Second World War. As with many encyclopedias, this means that the amateur or buff will use the entries themselves, and the expert will use the bibliography and suggestions for further reading. It is, at least at this moment, quite reasonably priced for such a serious work of reference, and I likely would not have bought it otherwise. The only drawback is that in changing over to the current edition, the editors seem to have removed the full-color maps that used to be placed at the end of the volume. I do not remember enough of those maps to tell if they are now among the black and white maps placed throughout the body of the work; I do know that the color maps were one of the highlights of the old edition and are much missed by this reviewer.

the Oxford Companion to World War II is very complete and simple to use for poeple who study the WW2, he contains a hundred maps, stats and chronological fact, englobing the totality of the allies or the axes. he's the best way to find all the information you'll need.

I have both the current and first edition of this book (in hardcover). As far as I can tell, the new edition is only shorter because it uses a smaller typeface, allowing several more words per line.

However, the new edition is also a bit easier to read despite the smaller size, because the new edition uses a glossy paper and the text seems more sharply defined on the page. This is particularly noticeable in the text of the maps, which I have struggled to read in the first edition, but seem clearer in the new edition.

As an aside, I agree with the general view that this is the single best reference book on World War II. I can't really tell what is changed in the new edition, although it may just be minor corrections, since the several longer articles I have compared seem identical.

This is a wonderful one volume encyclopedia of WWII, covering all fronts, participants, and major events. This outstanding work is an absolute must have for any serious student of World War II in my opinion. More than 100 scholars and professional historians contributed to this book. This work is certainly detailed, well written, and well researched, but it is not comprehensive (how could one describe WWII in one volume of about 1000 pages?). I think the description of this book as a `Companion' is entirely appropriate, it has been my companion for more than ten years now. I've flipped through pages of this book several times a week for the past ten years and (effectively) read the entire book through at least half a dozen times. This book is filled with an unbelievable amount of information. There are major sections on each of the combatants that include discussions about the military, political, economic, and cultural developments and changes that took place throughout the war. All the major battles are discussed, as well as people, equipment, and events. In my opinion, this is not a reference book, it is a learning book. If you already know a great deal about the Battle of Kursk or Uboats, for example, you will not find much new here. You will find, however, a wealth of information about all aspects of the war that you probably weren't even aware of. I have no complaints about this book and would consider it a bargain at twice the price. My only warning is that this book is probably not suited to someone who has only passing interest in World War II; if Steven Ambrose is your idea of a good historian, you probably aren't going to like this Companion.

I'm a fan of the first edition (1995) of this fine book: I'm a World War Two buff, and this is the best one-volume reference book on World War Two that I know of. So why would I give only four stars to the revised edition of 2005? Here's why. Prospective purchasers of the revised 2005 edition might like to know that it is 1,039 pages long, whereas the first edition of 1995 was 1,343 pages long. That's a loss of 304 pages, representing 23% of the material in the first edition---a considerable loss.

In the case of The Oxford Companion to Music, there was a beautiful, lavishly illustrated edition of 2,017 pages of 1983; it was replaced by a revised edition in 2002 that had 1,434 pages---a whopping loss of almost 600 pages of material. In this case I know what I'm talking about, because I have both editions: the 2002 edition represents a substantial abridgement and cheapening of the 1986 edition; I doubt that anyone who had the chance to compare the two would choose the newer edition.

I don't know if the same thing is going on with this Oxford Companion to World War Two (I don't have the new edition at hand to compare the two), but the loss of 23% of the material in the first edition, and my experience with The Oxford Companion to Music described above, would incline me to approach the new edition with caution.

I received this book and immediately wanted to begin several of the projects. They seem very easy with readily available supplies. Carol is a genius and really enjoys paper crafting. I watch her show all the time and now am enjoying her book.

This is well put together book, neat, sometimes the projects did not show how to get to the finish, but use your imagination. If you have the skill, rather beginner or experienced, I believe you will enjoy doing these projects. I can't wait to get stated.
JP

I WAS SO HAPPY TO GET THIS BOOK. IT GIVES SOME BASIC REVIEWS OF THINGS AND YOU'RE ABLE TO REALLY CREATE WITHOUT ALWAYS COPYING.

Carol Duvall's new book is like meeting up with an old friend. I was a regular viewer for years and years, and I really miss seeing her show. I still don't know why she was taken off the air (boo! to the network), but I hope she is doing well. This books has many of her wonderful craft projects as well as hints and tips from "THE SHOEBOX" ! There will never be another craft show like hers - she can't be replaced. Write more books Carol!

Needed some fresh ideas for paper crafting. Saw carols' book at a book store and thought it was very interesting and offered an assortment of ideas. I came home and found it at a GREAT price on Amazon. Wonderful book and a must-read for paper crafters.