Bill Bryson Books

This is a well written, and hilarious bok of the accounts of a young safari guide in Botswana. Anyone who has been on safari can relate to the experiences and will welcome the behind the scenes look at guiding. I enjoyed every minute of reading in this book as it took me back to my visit to the Okavango in '87 and '98. Those who have never been to Africa can enjoy this as well and perhaps you will be inspired to go on safari yourself!

This book is a collection of stories from the author's time as a safari guide in Africa as a young man. It reminds me of other "travel misadventure" books I have read, but the setting and the fact that the author is a guide make a nice change. I laughed out loud many times while reading the book. There is a bit of "bodily function" humor in here, but less than many other similar books and most of it is pretty funny anyway (like the author finding himself practically peeing on a honey badger, which has a reputation for going for the balls, or being kept awake by amorous lions going at it every 15 minutes all night). Highly recommended light summer reading.

For anyone who has ever been on an African safari or has ever thought they might want to this book is the one to read. The author has a great sense of humor which shows up consistently throughout this book. However, most importantly his love for Africa and its wildlife is the primary theme and is catchy. You will find yourself wanting to go to Botswana with Peter Allison as your guide

Even though Peter Allison never made Germans laugh, his book is sure to bring out chuckles and smiles. Even while describing serious hair-raising situations, Mr. Allison's way with words captures the moment, and brings to life a colorful cast of characters making each chapter an enjoyable and interesting account.
Mr. Allison tells his safari stories like they are; refreshingly honest about himself, co-workers, wild animals, and best of all, the tourists. His youthful exuberance and love for wildlife is obvious. These true tales made this arm-chair traveler want to book the next available safari tour guided by Peter Allison.

Allison's description of life as a safari guide and his interaction with beast and man will put a smile on your face. While most of the book showcases Allison's sense of humor, I also enjoyed the chapters which showed his heart. His ability to poke fun at himself and others in good-humored fashion left me hoping that he will continue to share his journey in a sequel. As the owner of a travel agency, this will be a gift for all of my clients who travel to Africa. I have lots of fantastic images from my safari - http://thetravelsource.vacationport.net but Allison inspired images that I would never have imagined: the honey badger pet, the mouse plague, and Salvador, the elephant in labor. If you have been on a safari, this book will bring back memories; if you haven't, it will let you dream about what it will be like when you do go. Either way, you'll learn something about the animals that you didn't know before.

I like language and its ability to allow the communication of complex and profound ideas as well as making it possible the get a coffee from Starbucks. This book, born out of Bryson's need for clarity as a newspaper reporter, is a wonderful read. Although laid out alphabetically like a conventional dictionary it is possible to dip into at any point and at any time to find oneself informed and amused. Plural of mongoose, mongooses not mongeese, fascinating and worth a bonus point in any trivia quiz. Oh, and Bryson insists there is no problem using split infinitives which is good news for Captain Kirk whose job is "to boldly go" to new worlds. In a world where standards seem to be slipping, (what is the difference between "verbal" and "oral", does anyone know, does anyone care: similarly "affect" and "effect") and where "eff off" gets marks in GSCE English we should be grateful for Bryson for keeping the language flag flying. Buy this please, I did and subsequently bought two further copies for friends.

This book covers a range of words that tend to get misspelled or misused in English publications. Many of them are words of French or Latin origin, which makes them a problem only for those who did not have to take one of these languages in school. The last chapter in the book is dedicated to punctuation - and that one is really helpful for any reader.

I bought the book for my husband and he says he really likes it. I can't offer a personal opinion though.

This is a great book for anyone who loves the English language. It should be a useful reference for writer's, but is also a great 'coffee table book' for those of us who are fascinated to learn there is no 'n' in restaurateur; the official length of an Olympic sized swimming pool; whether a word ends in "-ible" or "-able" or any number of other fascinating right and wrong usage of the language. It is a serious book done in the inimitable Bryson style.

Those familiar with Bryons will not be surprised by his quips and endless curiousity of the arts and sciences. Dictionary is a handy tool for the professional writer, yet it offers a funny insight into the muddle of the English language. Referencing nearly every authoritative work on the subject, he manages to offer a condensed, user-friendly guide that presents the most common mistakes and pitfalls facing writers. I would say the book is geared toward journalists, and consistent throughout is a "less is more" mentality, but this practice could easily be applied to writing in a number of different disciplines. I submit that it is worth the investment to buy and keep as a reference.

Americans generally care little for the world outside of its borders. And in the rare cases of foreign travel often Americans, "pay large sums to be transported to some distant place and then be shielded from it." This book not only tells of experiences in foreign countries, but it also tells the story of foreign people and their history. This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read this year. Below are short summaries of each writing with my "rating."

#1- Boat Camp by William Booth. (8) A man gets the urge to race a sailboat to Mexico. Very interesting and very well written. "Almost every sailor I know suffers the affliction. We dream the dream of boats on water."

#2- Lions and Tigers and Bears. (8) No, not the land of Oz, much scarier...Central Park (New York City). This writer decides to stay the night in Central Park despite the danger. Why? "Anybody who dnows anything about New York knows the city's essential platitude- that you don't wander around Cenral Park at night- and in that, needless to say, was the appeal: it was the thing you don't do." Not only a suspenseful tale, but it is packed full of Central Park facts.

#3- This Teeming Ark. (4) A writer travels to the African Congo and spends 12 days riding a barge down a river. Written very well and full of humor, the essay provides good insight into African culture, but I felt the author was a bit degrading toward the people.

#4- The Toughest Trucker in the World. (9) The name says it all. This writer rides along with a trucker who delivers fuel to one of the most remote places on Australia. The ride is full of adventure and great insight into Aussie culture and even Aussie vocabulary.

#5- Hitchhiker's Cuba. (7) "Hitchhiking is what makes Cuba move." Several men drive around Cuba giving rides to whoever wants them. It is not only hitchhikers they pick up, they pick up a lot of culture along the way. The author has a lot of interesting social and political insights.

#6- Nantucket On My Mind. (5) "...many of the true pleasures of Nantucket are not easily gained and cannot be purchased on demand, that they have to be, like everything else in life, earned..." This is some interesting insight into the upper class who have swarmed Nantucket Island and the upper-middle class who resent them.

#7- The Nile at Mile One. (6) Like most of the travel writings, this gives good insight into African society. The author attempts to trace Winston Churchill's journey through Africa. Anyone who has visited a third world country can relate to the following quote, "urban Africans seemed caught in a kind of purgatory, somewhere between the seductions of modernity and the habits of tradition."

#8- Spies in the House of Faith. (6) The longest piece in the book, this was the story of one reporters experience with the Dalai Lama and the transitional nation of Tibet. Very interesting (and a bit sad) to see how the government of China handles the faith of the Tibetan people.

#9- The First Drink of the Day. (1) I am not much of a drinker, so this was pure boredom for me.

#10- Lard is Good For You. (10) This short piece had me in constant laughter. The writer, a volunteer teacher, records her experiences in Costa Rica. I especially appreciated her insight into the "two voices in (her) head," referring to the "tourist' and the "traveler." The tourist wanted her comfort and her cute cultural experiences and the traveler wanted to truly experience life with Costa Ricans.

#11- The Truck. (7) Find out how one man almost dies in the Sahara desert in the country of Mauritania. "Without water you can survive in the desert for twenty-four hours; with great difficulty, for forty-eight or so."

#12- Confessions of a Cheese Smuggler. (4) "The worse the cheese smells the better it tastes." It doesn't get much more exciting than that.

#13- Inside the Hidden Kingdom. (7) This is a great little report on the country of Bhutan, the last independent Himalayan Buddhist kingdom.

#14- Weird Karma. (7) A summary of the writer's experience in India, I especially enjoyed the section on his observations about driving in India, "India is really magical. How can they drive like this without killing people?"

#15- Zoned on Zanzibar. (7) This African island is steeped in folk belief, and the author does an excellent job of showing how a somewhat `modern' nation still follows its own animistic beliefs. "(The witches) walk the streets invisible. They have sacrificed their children to Satan for power... I nod, as if it's a routine warning."

#16- Storming the Beach. (7) A very humorous article about the writer's crazy wish to crash the set of Leonardo DiCaprio's movie, The Beach. Set in Thailand, the writer attempts to sneak through security to get onto the set of the movie. The author is trying to make a point about tourism and the dangers it poses. He writes of the distinction between tourism and `true' travel, "tourists leave home to escape the world, while travelers leave home to experience the world."

#17- The Last Safari. (9) It gets serious here. An American safari guide in Africa writes of his tragic hostage-taking experience where five Western tourists died. It is written excellently and shows the horrible war-torn situation Africa finds itself it.

#18- Winter Rules. (10) This was the best and funniest story in the book. A Sports Illustrated writer goes to the arctic (Greenland) to play golf. A golfer myself, I found the story very amusing, showing the folly (maybe stupidity is a better word) of the true golfer. A good philosophical thought comes at the end of the story, "Life is to often like the stomach of the reindeer, I reflected at dinner: neither delicious nor revolting, but somewhere in between."

#19- From the Wonderful People Who Brought You the Killing Fields. (7) An adventurous tale of two men's journey to the mountains of Cambodia to meet with some of the officials of Khmer Rouge, a rebel group who has killed thousands in Cambodia.

#20- China's Wild West. (6) This is more of an educational piece, but interesting nonetheless. The westernmost province of China seems more like the middle east with a hint of Russian. This makes for an interesting society which is actually ruled by the despised Chinese.

#21- Exiled Beyond Kilometer 101. (6) Russia is a land where the rural areas hardly resemble the urban centers. This piece focuses on the contrast and the hardships that face rural Russians.

#22- Two Faces of Tourism. (6) Tourism and travel are the biggest international product. Bigger than oil, bigger than electronics, people spend trillions on travel and this has had a startling impact on the places that attract these tourists. The article focuses on a relatively unknown tourist spot in Mexico that is on the verge of becoming a major tourist area. "..we visitors are woven into the fabric of the places we visit."

#23- The Very Short Story of Nunavut. (2) The author here tries to repel rather than compel people to visit the new Canadian province of Nunavut. I don't really like the attitude of the author and I am glad he doesn't apply his views to America. If he was consistent with his world view, he would say that no outsiders should come to America and spoil our purity. I think this would be racist, but if he says it about a remote area in Canada he is being culturally sensitive.

#24- One Man and His Donkey. (8) This is the humorous retelling of the author's experience in Morocco with a donkey in the Atlas mountains.

#25- Marseille's Monument. (3) I personally found this to be uninteresting, I think I am biased against the writings that take place in Europe. About the French town of Marseille, the author shows the history of this "cool" town.

I really enjoyed reading these stories, especially since it is winter in New England at the moment. This book contains a broad assortment of travel stories--they are all quite amazing. Some are laugh-out-loud funny while others have you petrified for the authors. A beautifully put together book.

If you like Bill Bryson's writing (and I do), you'll enjoy this book. The stories are, for the most part, light, entertaining and enjoyable. My favorite was the one about hitchhiking through Cuba! It wasn't until I moved on to the 2001 Best American Travel Writing edited by Paul Thoreau that I realized how much the stories reflect Bill Bryson's writing. As I worked my way through the book, the writing seemed to be uneven, but I did enjoy the book on the whole and do recommend it to anyone who's into travel literature.

"Best American Travel Writing 2000" is the first edition in yet another outstanding entry in the "Best American" series. It is structured like other "Best American" books, with a series editor and a yearly guest editor putting their heads together and selecting two dozen or so of the best articles to be published in the field during the previous year. Bill Bryson was a very canny choice to be the first guest editor for the travel series, given his recent stature as one of the best selling travel writers around.

The best articeles in the debut 2000 edition include Tom Clynes's account of a truck driver in the Australian Outback, a lament by David Halberstam on the yuppie-fication of Nantucket Island, P.J. O'Rourke's amusing piece about driving in India, and Mark Ross's harrowing first person account of the slaying of eco-tourists in Uganda by Interhamwe rebels. Some of the articles are amusing, some are scary, others are full of wonder, but they are all well written and informative. Anyone who enjoys good travel writing, or who simply likes good storytelling, ought to pick up a copy.

The title of this book is THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2000. OK, ok, so I'm obviously a tad behind on my reading. (I only just recently got around to the fine print on my birth certificate which lists the warranty exclusions.)

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar that it can be taken for granted."

Perhaps the spirit of the statement is hard to realize nowadays when even Ulan Bator boasts (?) a McDonalds. However, its author, travel writer Bill Bryson, has, as this anthology's editor, pulled together twenty-six tales that will transport the armchair traveler far beyond the well-trod tourist paths. And I say this as one whose wimpy idea of adventure is to dine on a scorching curry in one of London's Balti houses after an afternoon exploring the book stacks at Foyle's.

The only journey in this volume that's personally appealing is the one to Bhutan described by Jessica Maxwell in "Inside the Hidden Kingdom". (That was until I searched the Web for Bhutan tours and was faced with the eye-popping cost of such a trek. Winning the California Lotto will be a pre-requisite, I'm afraid.) Otherwise, scouring France and Spain for the perfect first alcoholic drink of the day, or attending the World Ice Golfing Championship 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland, isn't a trip I'll queue for. Neither is spending the night in the depths of New York's Central Park, searching for the remnants of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia's remote highlands, traveling by donkey into Morocco's Atlas Mountains, picking-up hitchhikers in Cuba, or journeying down the Congo River on an over-crowded, squalid, passenger barge. I admire those who do such things, and it makes for great storytelling, but I'm way too soft.

In all the modern travel essays I've read, even if they're about trips to hell and back, nobody is ever permanently hurt. That fact is what makes so horrific "The Last Safari" by Mark Ross, a former safari guide, who tells of the time he and several clients were kidnapped in Uganda by border-crossing, machete-wielding rebels from the Congo. This tragic and shocking narrative is alone worth the price of the book.

All of the contributions to THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2000 are off-beat by a little or a lot. That common element is what makes the whole worth reading.

Great human elements. Wish my small town could adapt some of Ms. Challis' well-developed empathy. Vivid, multigenerational characters are portrayed realistically. Her descriptions of local flora and fauna provide visions of thick hedges, stone walls, thickly-wooled sheep. Finished with a big smile and a cup of hot tea with milk - not a bad commendation for a summer-read in Georgia!

I've run out of Maeve Binchy books and this was a great substitute! I love getting to know the characters in the little towns and this book entertains with just that. I am going to be buying more of Sarah Challis's books.

Very hard to get into.... I'm almost 1/2 way and can still put it down easily.............

Enjoyed very much. Readers who are Rosemund Pilcher amd Marsha Willet fans will also like Sarah Challis'works.

This was my first Sarah Challis novel and I found her delightful characters living in a charming English village completely captivating. Readers who are enchanted by Rosamunde Pilcher and Marcia Willett will find Challis to be an equally enjoyable writer to spend time with.

Claudia Barron has led a glitzy and glamorous life in London. Alas, her well-known husband has recently been splattered across the tabloids, convicted of fraud, and exposed as an adulterer. Humiliated, Claudia flees to an inconspicuous village and hopes to live anonymously and detached from fair-weather friends. Even though she changes her name, her reclusive behavior causes mumblings in the village and before she can say "no comment" she has been thrust into a cast of characters as endearing as any you would want to meet: Julia Durnford, her nosey parker neighbor who manages every detail of the village; Peter, Julia's milquetoast husband; their daughter Victoria who is feeling the pangs of being the left-out and lonely teenager at boarding school; Jena, the ten-year old gypsy who runs free; and Valerie, the semi-alcoholic neighbor to whom Claudia can reveal her secrets. Add to this mix, Claudia's visiting adult children: the lively Lila who flies in from New York and Jerome, the brooding son who returns from India with a secret too devastating to share. And finally, there are the two available men who catch Claudia's eye---will she succumb to the sexy and suave Anthony Brewer or be stabilized by Chris, the straightforward widower with four daughters?

Cozy and comforting, this is a most appealing novel I was sad to see end.

This doesn't come up to the quality of Chessman's Lydia Cassatt Reads the Morning Paper. Although the story itself is interesting, there is too much jumping from one point of view to another to allow much development of any one character in such a short novel, and it felt fragmented to me, with an artificial ending.

Ohio Angels is Harriet Scott Chessman's debut novel about the emotional conflicts of two female friends who have to balance their own talents and needs with the demands of family - whether caring for an aging, demanding mother or supporting a husband's career or abandoning one's own talents to look after children. Very strongly recommended for its thoughtful examination of conflicting pulls upon woman's life, Ohio Angels very clearly documents Chessman as an accomplished novelist with a particular gift for writing literate prose with a pronounced lyrical flair.

I was lucky enough to be handed this book before a long train ride after a tiring day. I don't know why PW calls it "glum": yes, bad things happen to people. This book is about HOPE and REDEMPTION and second chances for wounded people. I don't want to give away the plot, but anyone who likes a great story told in moving language will enjoy this book. Not unlike the touching work of Kay Gibbons. Share it with a friend!

In this fine first novel, Harriet Scott Chessman introduces the reader to two wonderful characters, Rose, mother of two, pregnant with a third child, and Hallie, thirty-seven, wanting a child. Rose lives in a small Ohio town, and has given up an academic career. She dreams of writing children's books, while surrounded by the happy details of daily life with her daughters.

Hallie, a painter, lives in New York, but engages again with her close friend when she returns to visit her parents in the Ohio town where she and Rose grew up. Across the small town lawns, porches, and sidewalks, fragrant with bloom and humid in the summer heat, Chessman builds a delicate story.

In luminous prose, Chessman reveals the entwined childhoods and emotional preoccupations of these close friends. The descriptions of motherhood, birth, parenting, and loss are exquisite.

This short novel is wonderful summer reading, highly recommended for individual readers and for book groups.

This is the beautiful FIRST novel (not second!) by the acclaimed author of Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper. Both Ohio Angels and Lydia Cassatt . . . center around questions of an artist's effort to understand and represent someone much loved. And in both, Chessman imagines what it's like to be on the other side of the canvas. I found this earlier story as intimate and moving as the second, and interesting in its use of fragments, each offering a different character's point of view. I recommend it to anyone who cherishes writing that lingers with you long after you come to the last word.

"Sound Biblical Preaching . . . should be. . .on the recommended reading list of Bible colleges."
Dr. Michael Ologun, Teacher of expository preaching and biblical preaching United Kingdom, Europe and the USA in churches and Bible colleges London, England

"I urge every preacher to buy the book. Then read the book. Above all, heed the book."
Dr. Bill Bennett, Professor of Preaching and Campus Chaplain,
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina
Author of Thirty Minutes To Raise the Dead

"Read it to be informed and blessed. Employ the principles propounded therein to be an inspiration and blessing."
Dr. Nelson L. Price, Pastor Emeritus
Roswell Street Baptist Church, Marietta, Georgia
Author of Servants Not Celebrities

"Sound Biblical Preaching by Dr. Franklin Kirksey is like oil on the gears for the young, the busy, or just the overwhelmed pastor. He includes models of sound Biblical preaching from some of America's most effective and appreciated spiritual leaders and pulpiteers, and the insights gleaned from their examples are worth many times over the cost of the book. "
The Honorable Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas
Former President of Arkansas Baptist State Convention
and President of Cambridge Communication in Texarkana
Author of Character Is The Issue, Living Beyond Your Lifetime, Kids Who Kill, Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork, Character Makes the Difference, and From Hope to Higher Ground.

"I can wholeheartedly recommend this volume and trust that many preachers will read and profit from it."
Dr. O.S. Hawkins, President and CEO GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention
Former Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas.
Author of The Pastor's Primer

"Read it to be informed and practice its principles to be inspired."
Dr. Robert Smith, Jr.
Associate Professor of Christian Preaching
Beeson Divinity School, Birmingham, Alabama.
Author of Preparing for Christian Ministry

"You have 'zeroed in' on the fundamental need in our time . . . Your book should be published and be widely used."
Dr. James Earl Massey, Dean Emeritus & Distinguished Professor-at-Large,Anderson University School of Theology, Anderson, Indiana
Author of The Burdensome Joy of Preaching

"Franklin Kirksey has made a valuable contribution to the revival of expository, biblical preaching in our contemporary age."
Dr. Roger D. Willmore, Senior Pastor
Deerfoot Baptist Church,Trussville, Alabama.
Minister at Large
Olford Ministries International, Memphis, Tennessee
President of the Alabama Baptist Convention

"This is a wonderful book that every preacher must read. It gives preachers a warning and at the same time help and a reminder of our responsibilities."
Rev. Yaw Ofori, Evangelism and Missions Director
Ghana Baptist Convention, Ghana, Africa

"Every pastor, teacher and layman should have this book in their 'must read' collection of books. This book gets to the heart of the condition in many of our churches today; the lack of sound biblical preaching, teaching and proclaiming the Word of God."
Dorothy Harbison, Sunday school teacher for over forty years, First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort, Alabama

"In this helpful book Dr. Kirksey deals both with theological soundness and practical help in preaching. This book can provide guidance to inexperienced preachers and encouragement to those who have grown discouraged in the ministry."
Tommy Shipp, pastor First Baptist Church,French Settlement, Louisiana Rev. Shipp served two terms on the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board. Presently, he serves as moderator of the Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association.

"Dr. Kirksey cuts it straight and his book is a powerful resource for those who want to practice sound biblical preaching in the 21st century."
Bob Dasal, Vice-President
WORDsearch Bible Software / Former Editor-in-Chief of Pulpit Helps Magazine

". . .it is refreshing to read an author who states, `God's chosen method of communicating His Word is preaching.'"
Dr. Walter G. Nunn, Christian Book Reviews,The Alabama Baptist
Birmingham, Alabama

"Franklin Kirksey has included the necessary elements of biblical proclamation that are founded on the eternal truths of God's Word."
Larry J. Michael, Ph.D., Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Sweetwater,Longwood, Florida
Author of Spurgeon on Leadership

"[Dr. Kirksey] has written this insightful book to remind us yet once again of the need of the hour---a recovery of biblical preaching! This lucid work, a veritable encyclopedia of homiletical insight, will help the young preacher clarify his call to the ministry and begin to develop the discipline of a God-centered life that is essential for a fruitful preacher of the gospel. Read this volume and you will be encouraged!"
Jay T. Robertson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Christian Studies
University of Mobile

"I am in enthusiastic praise for all believers to read your book [Sound Biblical Preaching], whether being called to ordained ministry in Jesus name or not. God bless you for bringing God's Word to us each Sunday."
Mrs. Ivel Patterson Caldwell Mrs. Caldwell offered tireless support to her husband, who served as Chief Education Advisor for the United States Government and the governments of Iraq (Baghdad), Jordan (Amman), and Indonesia (Djakarta), and later as Vice President for Development and Contracts at the University of South Alabama. In 1993, the Caldwell's children established an endowment scholarship named the James and Ivel Caldwell International Studies Program at the University of South Alabama.

"It is refreshing indeed to read a book that serves to remind ministers and teachers of the depth, wonder, and sufficiency of God's Word. Dr. Franklin Kirksey, a gifted author and pastor, has delivered just such a text."
W.P. "Ab" Abercrombie, Ph.D.
Co-Founder: The Biblical Counseling Institute
[...]
Co-author of CHRISTIAN SHRINKS Answer ALL Your Questions...(No Couch Required)

"Dr. Frank Kirksey's work on expository preaching is one of the best and most complete books on this subject. . ."
Dr. Charles A. Williams, President, Southern Baptist School for Biblical Studies,Jacksonville, Florida
Author of Look Out Brother

Dr. Kirksey's book, Sound Biblical Preaching, is well-organized and readable book. . .Since I teach research in my English Composition course, I want to use Dr. Kirksey's book to demonstrate to students how to merge quotations to make an organic whole: the student's own work but incorporating the ideas of many people.
Dr. Paul M. Sorrells, English instructor
Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute
Hendersonville, North Carolina

"Beginning ministers will get a good start on the bedrock basic principles of preaching, and experienced ministers will review the basics."
Dr. Harold T. Bryson, Chair, Department of Christian Studies and Philosophy, Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi
Author of Expository Preaching: The Art of Preaching Through a Book of the Bible

"Your book [Sound Biblical Preaching] is one that I will recommend for pastors, young ministers, and laymen interested in sound biblical preaching."
Pastor Alejandro "Alex" Pajaro serves as Hispanic ministries director, Elmore Baptist Association, Wetumpka, Alabama. Pajaro has been in the preaching ministry for more than forty years and is involved in mentoring Hispanic ministers.

"Every preacher today will profit from this thorough and strong plea for sound Biblical preaching."
Dr. C. Sumner Wemp
The MENTOR ministry sumnerwemp.com Dallas, Texas.
Author of The Practical Guide to Pastoring

"In Sound Biblical Preaching Dr. Franklin Kirksey places the proper historical perspective on Scripture as the ultimate source of truth."
Albert Lipscomb, Former Alabama State Senator (1989-2002)
Lipscomb has also served as Chairman of the Baldwin County Commission.
Lipscomb currently serves as a deacon at Vernant Park Baptist Church in Magnolia Springs, Alabama.

"Dr. Kirksey has addressed clearly and helpfully the Biblical mandate and mission of the preacher. Filled with memorable quotations and illustrations, Dr. Kirksey's concise volume paints an accurate and inspiring picture of what sound Biblical preaching is and who the sound Biblical preacher must be."
Dr. David L. Olford , President, Olford Ministries International, Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Olford is co-authored of Anointed Expository Preaching and editor of A Passion for Preaching.

"Dr. Franklin Kirksey is qualified to write about Sound Biblical Preaching because this is his life. Dr. Kirksey has practiced sound biblical preaching for many years. Dr. Kirksey demonstrates a grasp of the principles of preaching the Word of God."
Dr. John H. Killian, D.Min., Pastor Maytown Baptist Church,Maytown, AL., Adjunct Professor New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, President, 2006 Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference

"I have read your book and was greatly blessed. This book has the greatest collection of the finest quotes from preachers through the ages. I highly recommend this book to not only help pastors in sermon preparation but also to encourage the soul in the work of the preacher."
Dr. Kerry L. Skinner has served in pastoral roles for 30 years with an emphasis in Christian discipleship and pastoral counseling. He has co-authored many books with Dr. Henry Blackaby and Dr. Henry Brandt. Kerry also has developed and written curriculum for Prison Fellowship Ministry.
Kerry also served as associate to Dr. Henry Blackaby in the office of Prayer, Revival, and Spiritual Awakening for the North American Mission Board and later served as executive vice-president of Henry Blackaby Ministries. His books help people to practically deal with life-dominating issues and include, The Heart of the Problem, The Word for the Wise, Marriage God's Way and The Joy of Repentance.

"Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey's book, Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice, is much needed by the church today."
Dr. Darrell W. Robinson, President
Total Church Life Ministries, Inc.,The Woodlands, Texas
Author of Total Church Life

"In 'Sound Biblical Preaching' my friend and fellow preacher of the Gospel, Dr. Franklin Kirksey, has issued a needed call for careful preparation and enthusiastic delivery of expository sermons. I have given this book to several preachers."
Dr. Larry C. Patterson,Director of Missions Baldwin Baptist Association
Silverhill, Alabama

"I enjoyed reading Sound Biblical Preaching. In fact, I had to read it in one setting because I was so intrigued by it I couldn't put it down. I plan on purchasing some copies for our pastors and using it to encourage them. Well done."
Marc D. Howard
Director of Missions, Lee/Itawamba Baptist Assns, Mississippi

"Excellent book!"
Terry Wilhite , Communications & Multimedia Specialist
Wilhite's leadership, communication, music and multimedia columns have appeared internationally in some of the world's most respected online and printed venues. More than 90,000 readers have enjoyed his monthly columns in publications such as Technologies for Worship Magazine, Christian Computing and Pulpit Helps .

"It is really exciting to see a book that lives up to its title..Sound Biblical Preaching! Dr. Kirksey is committed to sound biblical preaching and this fact is revealed on each page."
Dr. Paul Blanchard, Associational Missions Director Winston Baptist Association, Louisville, Mississippi

"Preachers young and old will find encouragement and inspiration in Sound Biblical Preaching to faithfully expound the Word of God."
Dr. Al Jackson , Pastor,Lakeview Baptist Church
Director satellite internship/seminary program
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Auburn, Alabama

"Are you seeking a vital union with God and a deeper sense of personal wholeness? Then let Dr. Kirksey help to break up the 'fallow ground'. His insights in Sound Biblical Preaching are down-to-earth, practical and thoroughly Biblical. He delves to the heart of what it means to 'preach the word' with conviction and power. This collection of wisdom deserves a serious reading by the serious pastor and the hungry teacher."
Stephen Goforth, Broadcast Manager & Asst. Prof. of Journalism University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi
Goforth joins the Student Media Center after a seven year stint at CNN as anchor, writer and producer. Stephen earned his Masters Degree in Broadcast Journalism from The American University in Washington, DC. While in the nation's capital, he anchored radio network news for Salem Radio Network (airing on more than 100 stations) and worked in a variety of TV positions in the media covering Congress and the federal courts including producer for the America's Voice Network's flagship show.

"[Sound] Biblical Preaching is easy to read and understand. It is challenging and thought provoking."
Dorothy P. Jones, Former Director, Cottage Hill Baptist Church Tract Ministry, Mobile, Alabama

I also took time to read your book while in Africa, and I thoroughly enjoyed it and was challenged to work
more diligently than ever in preparing and preaching expositional biblical messages in my own ministry."
Rev. Terry A. Veazey , Harvesters International, Montgomery, Alabama. Since 1970, Evangelist Terry Veazey has traveled more than three million miles world-wide, proclaiming the Gospel in most of the USA and in more than fifty nations on five continents. Multitudes have trusted in Jesus Christ during Terry's evangelistic campaigns, and thousands of native church leaders are being trained to reach their own regions with the Gospel.

"Dr. Kirksey's scholarship provides the deepest foundation for those who teach and preach, giving God's Word a voice."
Glenn M. Gring, Retired Pastor, Hospital Chaplain, and Counselor; Former Chaplain, University of South Alabama Medical Center, Mobile, Alabama; Former Director Baptist Student Union (now Baptist Campus Ministry), University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama

"This book will help bring focus to those trying to determine if God has called them to preach."
Dr. Robert E. (Bob) Reccord, President
North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention
Author of Forged By Fire: How God Shapes Those He Loves

"Your book is. . . a walking tool alongside the Bible that any minister who wants to grow in preaching should never miss."
Rev. Richard Wasike, Richminster Christian Foundation,Bulimbo, Kenya, Africa

"Sound Biblical Preaching is a 'must read' for any pastor/preacher who desires to be the best communicator possible."
Dr. Harold D. Fanning, Senior Pastor
Autumnwood Baptist Church, Decatur, Alabama
Author of Life in the Skillet and Life Along a Dirt Road

"It's a fast read with powerful punch. . . you'll finish this book declaring, 'This one thing I do--Preach the Word!'"
Dr. Ron Susek, Evangelist
Susek Evangelistic Association,Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Author of Firestorm: Preventing And Overcoming Church Conflicts

"Franklin Kirksey has done an outstanding job of research and resource in his book, Sound Biblical Preaching."
Dr. Edwin F. Jenkins, Pastor
First Baptist Church,Athens, Alabama
Author of Strategic Church Health Initiative

"Especially helpful are the many quotes and insights from scholars and practitioners of preaching. I commend this book to you!"
Dr. Alvin L. Reid, Professor of Evangelism/Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism,Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina
Author of Firefall: How God Has Shaped History Through Revivals

"Sound Biblical Preaching. . . will. . .inspire and encourage the preacher personally to fulfill the call to preach the Word."
Walter M. Blackman, Pastor
East Highland Baptist Church,Hartselle, Alabama
Writer for LifeWay Church Resources, Nashville, Tennessee

"I recommend Dr. Franklin's book to all. . .Sound Biblical Preaching has really assisted us in Kenya. . . "
Pastor Fredrick Makhanu, Co-Founder MEIF International Fire Ministries, Kenya, East Africa

"This book is great. I believe a must read for young pastors."
Jim Seago, Director of Missions, Pulaski Baptist Association, Waynesville, Missouri

"Sound Biblical Preaching ought to be on the required reading list for every preaching class in every college and seminary in America. . ."
Dr. Phil Glisson, Evangelist
Former President of the Fellowship of Tennessee Baptist Evangelists
Memphis, Tennessee

"Copies of this book should be in every pastor's study as well as church libraries for prospective pastors."
Evelyn Glass, Librarian, Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, Alabama

"In life's journey we need gentle, sometimes subtle and urgent, reminders of our mission. Franklin does that in his work."
Dr. Bobby E. Hopper, Director of Missions, Bethel Baptist Association, Linden, Alabama.

"Dr. Kirksey, by his extensive research, has accumulated a great deal of godly wisdom in 'Sound Biblical Preaching'. . ."
Major W. Ian Thomas, Founder and General Director
Torchbearers International,Estes Park, Colorado
Author of The Saving Life of Christ, If I Perish, I Perish and The Indwelling Life of Christ

". . . this book will help the man of God who desires to communicate truth with power."
Dr. Ron Herrod,Evangelist
R.H.E.M.A. International,Sevierville, Tennessee
Author of Faith Under Fire

"It is with enthusiasm that I recommend Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey's book titled Sound Biblical Preaching, to any preacher..."
Dr. Lewis A. Drummond, Evangelism Professor in Residence,Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove,Ashville, North Carolina
Author of The Awakening that Must Come

Dr. Kirksey's book is a good companion to the new book, THE NEW GUIDEBOOK FOR PASTORS. The new guidebook seeks to promote expository preaching and has a chapter by Mac Brunson on expository preaching. Dr. Kirksey's book goes into great detail how to do that kind of preaching. It is a must for every pastor's library.

Dr. Kirksey's book, "Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving The Bible A Voice," is one of the finest books on preaching I have ever read. It is a must read for the newly called preacher, for the man in the midst of ministry and for the seasoned man of God who has preached for many years. I have been preaching God's Word for 39 years and I can say without equivocation that I wish this book had been available when I began my ministry. Get this book - it will renew your calling, enhance your ministry and help to enflame your preaching!

Dr. J. Mike Minnix
Editor, www.pastorlife.com
Georgia Baptist Convention
Atlanta , Georgia

" Dr. Franklin Kirksey has given the pastoral ministry a great gift in his book Sound Biblical Preaching. As a church planter and a mentor to church planters, I believe this book will help every church planter to a call to biblical preaching in such a way that will lay the foundations for the future of the new church. Dr. Kirksey has given an anthology of preaching and preachers that will be invaluable to every student of preaching. This fresh reminder of the call to ministry, and the committment to expository preaching and teaching is invaluable to the foundations of a new church. May we see the day as biblical preaching, God-called visionary leadership, sound growth principles, and just hard work will raise up millions of new churches who see their calling as world mission strategy centers, every Christian leader as a mission strategist, and every believer a kingdom mission agent in the marketplace. I believe that Sound Biblical Preaching will be a valuable contribution to see this new day a reality."

Dr. George W. Garner has served as a pastor for many years and as Association Director of Missions/Church Starter Strategist, 1990-2001, Platte Valley Baptist Association, Flagler, CO; National Missionary for Town and Country Church Planting, North
American Mission Board, SBC, 2001-2004; State Director of Missions/Leadership Consultant, Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention, 2004-2006. Dr. Garner is currently serving under appointment with NAMB in a dual role to be a church planting catalyst in the Colorado Baptist Convention and to lead Ken Caryl Baptist Church to be a model as an Acts 1:8 Church Planting Church.

Franklin Kirksey's commitment to solid biblical preaching is demonstrated on every page. This book will be of value to any preacher who wishes to more effectively proclaim God's Word.

Michael Duduit
Editor, Preaching magazine
www.preaching.com

I'm not entirely sure how often the author, Bill Bryson, writes in jest, and how often he is actually betraying his pedantic, pompous and pretentious side.

There are a number of cases of apparent hypocrisy on the author's behalf, regarding the use of pretentious and pompous language. These few occurrences aside, I can find little fault with this book, but much praise for it. Enlightenment and humour are abundant, eliciting many chuckles each time I sit down for a good read of this book.

This is not a book that one can enjoy reading for very long at a time, since the memory reaches saturation rather quickly - it is a dictionary, after all. Hence, short daily doses are what Dr Benesato recommends to get word better user.

Benesato.

I borrowed this book from a friend, having found that it was out of print. I found it fascinating, and interesting. It not just for acdemics, but suitable for anybody who has an interest in words. The book covers common gramatical errors - many of which are to be found in what is usually considered to be one of "The Better" daily newspapers! It also guides the reader through some of the more unusual usage of the English language. It is book to dip into time and time again.

Bill Bryson guides us through some of the most abused, misused and overused words in the English language. Although his writing is no-nonsense, there are occasional dashes of wit: prevent the book from becoming tedious. Although designed for writers and editors, the combination of wit and extracts from newspapers - used to illustrate common mistakes - makes this book suitable for any audience.

I got this book from a thrift shop. It was the best $2.00 I have ever spent. If you are a person who likes to write a lot then this book should be beside your computer or word processor. Bryson shows you how to properly use the more troublesome words in the English vocabulary that often leaves us stumped and confused. I enjoyed flicking through it (I am a bit of a word buff) just for fun and it is a lot easier to use than a dictionary which does not tell you in what context to put certain words such as "affect" and "effect" to name just two. However this book DOES NOT replace a dictionary, rather it complements it, so for all your word buffs, go and get this book, it's a real eye opener...well it is if you like the English Language and all the silly things we do with it!

This book is entitled either plain "Troublesome Words" or in older editions, "The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words".

For most of us non-Grammarians whose English is instinctive rather than based on intimate knowledge of linguistic rules, trying to improve our English by reading books in grammar or English usage can be quite an ordeal, as most of them are dry and technical. Bill Bryson's book is slim (192 pages in my edition), palatable and great fun. Alphabetically, Mr Bryson sets out the most common mistakes in English spelling, grammar and usage which he has come across. Most of the more obvious "troublesome words" are covered succinctly, clearly and with lashings of humour. Examples: "VERY should be made to pay its way in sentences"; "VARIOUS DIFFERENT is inescapably redundant"; "The Oxford English Dictionary contains 414,825 words. IRREGARDLESS is not one of them." At the end of the book is a section on punctuation. Illustrations of correct and incorrect usage are helpfully given. What adds to the fun is that most illustrations of wrong usage are taken from leading US and UK newspapers and periodicals, and even occasionally from an authority on the language; how nice to see their feet of clay. Another point in this book's favour; Mr Bryson being an American who has spent much of his professional life in the British journalistic profession, sees things from both sides of the Atlantic and does not have an overt bias one way or the other. (Unlike many British who have an almost hysterical aversion to Americanisms.)

While admirable and enjoyable, this book is too short and too personal to serve as a good reference. If you have a particular problem, it may or may not be addressed in this book. (This lack of comprehensiveness is why I give this four stars instead of five.) Nonetheless, anyone who studies and takes to heart the contents of this book will undoubtedly improve his English and will do his tiny part to stem the tide of sloppy and plain bad English which threatens to swamp us all today. It is a shame this book is out of print. I would love to send a copy to every journalist I know.

Finally, I must tell of how my edition of this book unwittingly demonstrates the pervasiveness of bad English and the desperation of the good fight against it. Mr Bryson says "FULSOME is one of the most frequently misused words in English. The sense that is usually accorded it - of being copious or lavish or unstinting - is almost the opposite of the word's dictionary meaning. FULSOME is related to FOUL and means odious and overfull, offensively insincere. 'Fulsome praise', properly used, isn't a lavish tribute; it is unctuous and insincere toadying." In my edition (1997 reissue of the second edition), the back page quotes the Guardian (a leading UK newspaper, for Americans who may not know), as saying "Deserves fulsome praise. Its merit is that it is trying to equate the rules prescribed by good English with the demands of the general consensus." Oh dear, indeed. Sabotaged by one's own publisher.

I think that the book loses something by being read. Although it is funny at parts so much that I was laughing out loud, It gets a little tedious to hear multiple spellings for words over and over. And I found it more difficult to make subtle comparisons than I hearing words than if I had been able to see them. It can't be helped though, after all, it is a book about grammer, spelling and syntax.

This book contains more than you expect. Bill Bryson covers language its self with a focus on English. The book covers speech from a historical view, a physical view, an environmental view, a utilitarian view, and many other views. You will want to play the tape over again as it cruses through many concepts that leave you thinking and speculating how it could have all gone differently.

A highlight for me (aside from his dirty word list) was the recognition that we try to impose Old Latin syntaxes on Modern English and it can get reticules.
My only disappointment comes when he mentions things I have already read and gets it wrong or off the mark.
The advantage of the tape is that you actually hear the pronunciations. When it is a matter of spelling the reader will spell it out for you. Also the reader has the ability to change accents to fit the dialect samples.
The disadvantage is when you want to turn back to a particular page for cross-reference; there is no page to turn. So I would be smart to won both versions.

Never start reading a Bill Bryson book in a public place. This is the mistake I made with A Walk in the Woods, and I found myself giggling embarrassingly. Starting with the selection of equipment, and then the preparation for the journey by reading several terror-inducing stories of bear attacks, Bill Bryson continually amuses, educates and entertains.

Bryson sets off on one of the most physically and psychologically demanding tests of stamina that he could attempt: a hike along the Appalachian Trail. With his long-suffering friend Katz in tow, he encounters brutal weather, crazy hikers, price-gouging hostels, and random acts of kindness that make the whole thing worthwhile. I was especially touched to read about people who come to the AT specifically to leave things like snacks and books for the hikers.

Given that I am not in any kind of shape to attempt even a day hike on the AT, I enjoyed living vicariously through Bill Bryson's experiences. The vistas he got to view sounded amazing, and I could almost taste the wonderful, satisfying meals enjoyed when he was able to reach "home cooking" after many days on the Trail. In addition, his turns of phrase had me laughing out loud over and over again. The first Bryson book I've ever read, but definitely not the last.

This book was written in the style of John McPhee and even quoting him once in a while. It includes facts and people like "The Perfect Storm." Then Bill Bryson adds first hand personal experiences. You can identify with his comments that do not have to be funny to be familiar.

This book recounts Bill Bryson's experiences on the Appalachian Trail. The dry facts can be picked up through other material. However the personal experiences are just that, personal. If you have never been hiking then you still get a feel for what you have missed. However if you have hiked then you can really appreciate the people he met, and circumstances that he went through. There are hikers and then there are hikers. In the Boy Scouts you are usually in a well-organized group, in the military you have to be more cautious of objects and terrain, Sierra Club and Outward Bound have their unique points of view. So if his experience is different, it still makes for fun reading.

I even liked the sections on selecting and using the equipment. I am afraid if I had met Bill Bryson on the trail; I would have been one of those "equipment comparing" people.

Anyway do not expect an epic and you will enjoy the time you spend reading this book. Oh, and it does make me want to go hiking.