N Books

Derbyshire's fine novel is innovative in style and concept. For this reason it requires imho some explanations if it is to be fully understood. Thank goodness for Amazon which makes such explanations easily possible. There are at least two issues which might be helpful for at least some readers to discuss These are firstly the subtedly of Chinese culture and secondly the mysterious meeting between the protagonist and Calvin Coolidge which accounts for the book's title.

There cannot be many novels in which a Caucasian author writes in the first person as a Chinese. To do that successfully requires a deep understanding of Chinese culture which while certainly not "inscrutable" is very different and often more subtle than ours. Derbyshire has this understanding because he has lived in China for many years, speaks several of the languages and last but not least is happily married to a Chinese wife. So as you read the book you will come across many references to classical Chinese novels and poems as well as expressions common in Chinese speech. Pay careful attention to these quotations, they are not there for decoration but they are Derbyshire's pleasant way of showing you some things about Chinese culture and how it differs from ours.

The book's title comes from Chapter 18 in which the protagonist "sees" Calvin Coolidge or perhaps his ghost. It is clear from the previous reviews that many readers have not understood what is going on here, which is understandable since Derbyshire has been perhaps a bit too subtle in developing this part of his plot. At any rate, I figured it out but thought it necessary to e-mail Derb asking him to confirm my theory. Here is what I wrote;

Derb,

I have just finished reading your book and enjoyed it very much. I am thinking of writing a review for Amazon which is needed perhaps because no one seems to have understood your rather mysterious Chapter 18.

Here's my theory of what is going on here. Ding has found out about Chai's attempt to restart his old affair with Selina and makes a plan to prevent this and so save her marriage. She does this with the help of Mr. Chan hence the several long unexplained phone calls. The plan involves the Coolidge impersonator Mr. Ruggles who is actually the man that Chai meets in room 1010. So no dream at all, just a sophisticated plot that you only hint at.

Please tell me if I am on the right track, because if so readers who do not seem to have understood should be informed.

Here is Derb's courteous reply:

That is exactly right, Wolfgang. It is a story about clever women
outwitting a man who isn't as smart as he thinks. Hey, it worked for
Shakespeare (at least four times...)

So there you are. Derbyshire has written a great novel, stylish and well-informed but subtle and nuanced. Buy it, read it carefully, and you will be well-rewarded.

There are other unusual characters in literature, but surely the protagonist of this book is right up there for dynamic range of experiences and interests. He is a former Red Guard Chinese American banker whose also an amateur etymologist and American history lover. When he's drawn toward a tryst with a long lost love only his determined wife can save him and only Silent Cal (in a dream) can possibly advise him.

I was disappointed when my aquaintance with this interesting man came to an end.

My husband and I bought this book simply because we happen to live in one of Calvin Coolidge's old homes. We didn't really expect all that much. Boy were we surprised. I immediately recommended the book to my book club.

Let me say something about my book club: we've been together for almost ten years and we're made up for thirteen stong-minded women ranging in age from 30-something to 80-something. This is one of the few books we have unanimously loved. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we wrote the author a letter inviting him to return to Northampton. He did and it was a joy to meet him.

Rita Bleiman
author "Dirty Tricks"

I was telling a friend who was once my English professor at Cal Berkeley that Seeing was the best novel I'd read in a long time. (Unfortunately, there is currently little time for novel reading.) She asked, "Good book or good read?" I sort of went "Huh," but have been mulling over the question ever since. The answer: good read, emphatically. Swift, short and constantly entertaining in its transitions of place and time, and overlay of memory, Seeing is a true page-turner. Good book? I think the answer here is also yes. Derbyshire, who I presume from his name to be a Caucasian, does a pretty convincing job as an Asian narrator, even capturing Chai's reflexive smugness toward women, particularly his wife Ding. The pitch for the rehabilitation of Calvin Coolidge does not convince me; he still seems a simple man for simpler times whose values are of a more limited guidance than the author implicitly argues. At the same time, the observations on China, particularly the excesses of the Red Guard, and on a self-absorbed and often frivolous America as seen through a recent, successful immigrant's eyes ring very true. And you can't help but enjoy Ding's wiles as she brings Chai to live Coolidge's maxims.

Until recently, my only acquaintance with Mr. Derbyshire was in his role as a somewhat disagreeable controversialist in "National Review" magazine. Then, I noticed his most recent book (as of this posting), "Prime Obsession", a non-fiction account of the work of 19th century German mathematician Bernhard Riemann, whose prime number theorum remains one of the biggest unsolved problems in mathematics. Through the capsule biography of the author, I found out the existance of this book and consulted the reviews here.

Having read "Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream", I can say that it fully lives up to the sometimes-extravagant praise posted here. The book has a quirky charm all its own, not least because of the first-person voice of its hero, Chai, a winning and fascinating personality. Since the plot has been fully discussed in other reviews here, I will limit myself to a few random observations.

--Chai's account of his participation in the Red Guards as a teenager reads like a chiller out of Chen Jo-Hsi's book, "The Execution of Mayor Yin, and Other Tales of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution" His witnessing of a gang-rape (which he feigns participation in) shames him and destroys at a stroke any loyalty to the Party he may have had. This starts him on his long road to America.

--Like Joseph Conrad in England, Chai masters the intricacies of English while in America. His ironic and insightful observations of the United States, China, and Hong Kong (before the PRC took over) are fun to read and dead-on.

--The long-dead Calvin Coolidge appears to give some dry and intelligent advice. Mr. Derbyshire manages to squash the old legend of "Silent Cal" as unintelligent and indolent. While the author perhaps spreads it a mite too thick, it is still a useful and entertaining corrective. (I hold with the political scientist who believes that Mr. Coolidge's apparent indolence was the result of a deep--perhaps clinical--depression at the death of his 16-year old son, Calvin Jr. from septicemia caused by an infected blister on his foot that had been raised playing tennis on the White House lawn.)

All of this is just by-the-by, however. The book was simply a delight and I urge anyone whose interest has been piqued by these comments to read it just as I did.

With several shelves full of cookbooks to choose from, this is the one that I pull down when I need some inspiration for good, hearty, tasty, basic foods that are easy to prepare. This is my most used cookbook, and everything I've made from it has turned out well. Pop culture cookbooks come and go but this classic stands the test of time. Highly recommended.

This is my favorite go-to cookbook for a weekend meal when I am not craving any particular cuisine and just want to try something new. The chatter is lively, and the recipes fun to cook, both reducing well and expanding to suit a bigger crowd. While the dishes do not reflect a "pure" ethnic sensibility, the blending of flavors and seasonings lead to delicious results sometimes even exciting. I return to many of these recipes again and again. My (spoiled) husband who sometimes doesn't know what he is eating but certainly knows if he likes it, is a big fan of this cookbook.

I love cookbooks and this is one of the best I have ever read or used. It is both a good cookbook and a good read, and most recipes are ones you will use. I am so impressed that I am giving it to several good cooks as a Christmas present.

This is the cookbook I have been waiting for for many years. It is supberb, down to earth cooking and it is so well set out that even an occasional cook can follow it and get wonderful results. I would recommend this to any one who likes excellent eating. Every time I look at it I want to go back to Chantarelle for another great eating experience

When we moved last year, it was one of 5 cookbooks I packed in my suitcase to use in our temporary apartment. It's chock full of great recipes for American classics, but done in a way that appeals to people who've gone beyond Campbell's soup casseroles. A number of easy ethnic recipes rounds out the mix.

THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL WRITTEN. I LIKE THE MAIN CHARACTER BECAUSE HE IS HUMBLE AND DOWN TO EARTH. JESUS IS VERY WELL DISPLAYED. YOU WANT TO STEP INTO THE BOOK AND MEET THESE CHARACTERS. SCRIPTURE IS PLAYED OUT PERFECTLY.

For years, I've enjoyed Brouwer's mysteries and thrillers. His prose is tight, and he creates memorable characters. I picked up "The Weeping Chamber" wondering if his style would be complimentary to a historical novel. I expected it to be a bit more religious in tone than his previous work, and worried that I might not enjoy it as much.

I should've known better.

As always, Brouwer refuses to fit into preachy boxes. Yes, this is a beautifully written and researched book. It never feels heavy-handed in its details, and yet it feels utterly believable, breathable. Even better, though, it deals with very human struggles. We meet a man named Simeon, who has faced personal grief and resulting guilt. He's lost a child, and his marriage is estranged. Cautious in nature, he's not sure what to think of this new "miracle worker" from Nazareth. Is this man insane, or is he truly God's Son? Soon, Simeon is caught up in the intrigues of those last days of Jesus' life, even intersecting in an unexpected way.

If you want a book that captures the feel of Israel in Jesus' day, and if you want a book that makes those days seem as humanly pregnant with emotion and struggle, then you owe it to yourself to pick up "The Weeping Chamber."

I keep a list of books that have made a strong and marked impact on my life, and this book is very near the top of the list. I found this book in a catalogue and started reading it without any expectations of greatness, but this book made a large impact on my life. Weaving the familiar story of Christ into a person's life, Brouwer threads the pages with truth about God and His love and power. It is not a fast-paced book, but an almost relaxing read. Of course, there are plots turns that will keep your attention, but the soothing way the words flow as you read of the struggles of Simeon is beautiful. I have read this book many times, and I still love it.

This is a great novel--and I'm not too much of a novel reader. I could tell you about the story, but you can read the comments provided by Amazon to get that. I don't have anything else to add to that part. I write the review not to tell you the story, but to tell you that it's a great novel.

I picked this up off a 2-dollar shelf or something--I assure you that this is not the kind of book I would look at and say "Mmmm...now THAT looks interesting." Rather, it is more likely that I would look at this book and think "Mmph...not for me." In retrospect, it is quite remarkable that I bought it at all--regardless of the low price.

So, since I now had the book, I might as well read it, right? So I did. In two days. I don't think I put it down when I had free time. The book is such an easy read, and very entertaining. I was truly impressed by the book. I guess it is one of those books I could call "heartwarming," or "precious." Believe me, coming from a guy, that's quite a compliment (winks). I think I even teared up at the end. Again--coming from a guy, that's kinda impressive, don't you think?

I'm sure the girls are ready to buy it now...just because it made a guy cry...

But guys--don't be turned off becuase I used patty-cake terminology like "precious" to describe this book. It's a great book. It's an entertaining read. It's captivating. It's interesting. It's good. It's not a long book, and I'm pretty sure that if you pick it up, you won't put it down...at least not until you finish it (or it makes you cry too).

Great book.

This might be one of those you look at and a big question mark comes to mind. When my pastor's wife loaned it to me, I'll openly admit it wasn't exactly my first choice of what I wanted to read. We'll, it IS a first recommendation from myself! What a picture.

We join a man named Simeon. A desperate man, to be blunt. To himself, a pathetic man. He has the scars to prove it. But while visiting his cousin, he meets Yeshua. He observes some of his followers, like Peter, and observes the crowds around this amazing man. It is close to Passover. We even get a picture of Pilate, Judas, and many more!

This takes you to the cross. And beyond! You can face tomorrow, people! This actually comes close to "The Passion", but it still touches the heart and pierces the soul.

My final thought is this: If someone loans this to you, read it. Not just another book! I loved it. And it isn't complex, so it makes for an easy read. Wow!

The Bedford Handbook
I was satisfied with my order, and was delivered as it said

i ordered it and got it in a very good condition and in time. customer service is awesome. my blessings. keep up the good work.

this book is good for when you're writing essays and you can't remember a certain format or something and you can flip through the book real quick for examples of essays, outlines and thesis statements, although I wish i had the cd version of it so i can always have it with me instead of toting around the book. they could have made the format of the book better.

for instance i remember seeing a book called "A Writers reference" both are MLA format and one came from my community college and just the way its put together is better over all than this one.

The Bedford Handbook is an excellent guide for anyone enrolled in a college English course. The book gives details on correct grammar usage, as well as descriptions of different essay styles. The book is very helpful to me with my English class.

Diana Hacker has an English comp book for any possible usage, she grinds them out every few years. My college requires me to use this book as a handbook. That is unfortunate.

Of course, this book provides a basic explanation of English composition, grammar, documentation, and document design and critical reading. However, the attempt in this case is to present something that is lighter than Rules for Writers, a full scale manual that is sufficient to use as the only text for a college composition course or as a full writers reference, and her Writers Reference, which is a good handy handbook that is inadequate as a full course book, but is great as a rule book to be used by students taking a course using another text.

Usuing this book, I have had to create supplements from web material for issues that I expect to be covered fully in a college handbook such as the requirements of formal writing.

To be sure there are interesting illustrations and graphics and like her other books, the text is intimately linked with the enormous online network that Hacker and her publishers have created. It is not an awful book to use, but I would prefer Rules for Writers, Jane E. Aaron's Litte Brown Handbook, or Writer's reference.

this book is fantastic. in a very beautiful and big format, it's complete with all the bondgirls in a great description. very good if you are a bond fan or at least a woman lover!

Overall the book is ok, however for a coffee table sized book (It's rather tall, which makes it awkward to store in a bookcase - well mine anyway) there's not enough photos, and a bit too much text. Almost all of the photos I'd seen before, so while most people new to the Bond world might be impressed, there's not enough unique content to make the book a must have. Actually come to think of it most of the text does seem like filler, too generic to be interesting. A book this size shouldn't be a novel, it should be mostly photos. With only one or two photos per actress there definitely needs to be a lot more photos.

great pictures and an in depth look at each girl and her relationship to the movie

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but when I had read other reviews I hoped for the best. This is not the best. So, what one is the best? It is the one yet to be published. yet I will admitt that this one is the best out there that I have seen. A book on Bond women should have a lot more pictures, and more inside stories would help as well; yes, more photos, that would do the trick.

If you are a James Bond lover...you will ENJOY this book!!! Great book!!!

I have purchased a few of these. Great gift for someone that left the Big Apple or that doesn't have the opportunity to see it. I sent it to my sister in Florida, my best friend in Florida and my cousin in Texas. If they can't be with us, at least they can remember how beautiful it is!

Christmas in New York: A Pop Up Book is a wonderfully artistic representation of its subject. I have bought several copies of this lovely book, and I have given them to adults and children alike. One of them was sent to France.

I purchased this book as a sort of "virtual trip" to begin to fulfill my dream of celebrating Christmas in New York one day. The illustrations are beautiful and it is interesting to learn the history behind the great city's Christmas traditions. It seems that every time I open the book there are new surprises awaiting me. This book is a keepsake to enjoy for years to come. My other dream for Christmas one day is London, England. Mr. Fischer, are there any plans for a "Christmas in London" or even a "Christmas in Germany" or Europe? If so, I just "can't wait to open" them! Thank you for the sweet gift of imagination, color, and beauty in a book.

My Best Friend and I have a Christmas Tradition where we buy each other Children's Christmas books as gifts... I chose this one because she recently took a vacation to NYC. I bought it from Amazon without being able to look at the inside and was suprised and a little disappointed to find that it was more historical and less story-ish. But the book is great and the story behind the Traditional NYC Christmas icons is told. I would recommend this book but remember that it is not a Story book more of a history book.

It has been a surprise to open this book. Just amazing! I believe it is perfect for a baby, for an adult, for everyone, it is a pleasure to go through the colorful pop-up pages and the inserts.
I really love it.

Myles Munroe is an excellent author and this book will give help you with what God has given you to do. My goal is read all of his books, all of his books are great, he's one of my favorites.

If you want to really, fully understand how and why one is given a Christian spiritual gift like purpose and vision you will truly enjoy reading this book....it's hard for me to put it down...and I'm only into the 3rd chapter. Myles Monroe has been given a rare gift of explaining the actual "mechanics" of various spiritual gifts in terms that are so plain and understandable....I've read his book on prayer as well "Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer" it was TERRIFIC!! I can't wait to order another one of his books when I get through with this one.

I can't get enough of this book, every page is an "aha" moment. It's taking me to the next level. I think the book was written just for me, answering/addressing the questions I've had & couldn't seem to figure out the answers.

Myles Munroe has done it again! In his own uniquely simplistic way of informing people who are searching, of the principles in scripture which help us to move forward in the purpose that God has given each of us. Munroe shows us how to identify the talents that God has given us and to utilize them to our fullest potential. This book along with the study guide helps the reader to remain on track in regard to prioritizing what is really important in life. The fulfillment of our individual purpose for being. It's not about competition, it's about purpose!!

I had the opportunity of taking a class on this book. The book is awesome. It made me think seriously on somethings I wanted to do in my life. One statement in this book was, "Stop procrastinating and hoping you will eventually get somewhere in life. Decide whether you're going to get a curse or a blessing." Revelation 3:15-16

I decided I would rather have a blessing and began to focus more towards my purpose in life. Knowing that God is my source and He would never give me a vision or assignment that I am not equipped for.

I also liked the Chapter Principles at the end of each chapter (ie. "If you don't have a plan, God doesn't have anything specific to direct you in.").

Whether you're a gay parent or the child of gay parents (or neither!), you'll want to read this wonderful book. I found it compelling and engaging. It's comprehensive and thoughtful, addressing issues you're wondering about and questions you didn't even know you had. It's beautifully written, thorough, and comes from the heart. Get one for yourself and give one as a gift. You'll be glad you did.

I just finished reading your book, and it made me cry. (And I don't cry easily.) Your insights and perspective were profound, for me, and I'm sure for countless others who have read, and will read, your words.

I am a gay dad, and my son is currently three years old. It took my partner 15 years to convince me to adopt, and I did so reluctantly. I grew up in the 60s and 70s and was led to believe by all I heard and saw that my sexuality not only defined me, but limited me. I did not believe I was worthy, capable, allowed or justified to raise a child, or children, even after having mine placed in my arms the day he was born. I've come a long way as a parent in the past few years. But there remained lingering doubts about my ability to prepare my son for his unusual road ahead.

After reading your book, I'm relieved, hopeful, and mostly thankful to have such an eloquent reference tool. As a GLBT person, and now parent, I cannot satisfactorily tell you how meaningful your book is, or how fortunate I feel to have you as an advocate.

This really should be required reading for everyone in our society.

I'm a lesbian mom raising a son, so I was excited to find a book that claimed to be about families like ours. Unfortunately, I found the book quite a disappointment. The author does explain in the prologue that, since she was interviewing people in their 20s and 30s, most of them predate the "gayby" boom and are actually children of heterosexual marriages, with a parent later coming out as gay or lesbian. This would explain the big emphasis in her book on topics like how to come out to your kids, custody issues and contention between the gay parent and the straight one, break-ups in general, problems amongst extended family with new partners, etc. Most of it would be irrelevant to gay or lesbian people that come out before conceiving or adopting children, whether as couples or on their own.

Also, while the book was published in 2004, the author spent 8 years researching it, and most of the folks interviewed were in their 20s or 30s. So most of the experiences these grown children talk about it -- issues at school, with friends, with parents dying of AIDS, and society in general -- would have happened from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. Where I am, in Massachusetts in 2008, the landscape looks pretty different. Kids may still make nasty cracks at school, but the teachers are very unlikely to. Kids don't assume that if your mom is a lesbian, you might give them AIDS. When I introduce my partner at church, people don't think we're in business together. And while the whole chapter on parents dying of AIDS is probably invaluable to the grown children who had to deal with that, I don't know any gay or lesbian families with young children who struggle with that now.

It was mildly interesting from a general historical/sociological point-of-view. But I didn't find it at all helpful from a parenting point-of-view, and it's not a book I would want my 10-year-old son to read, since I think it paints a far gloomier picture of society than what he is likely to encounter. As far as the book's title goes, instead of "Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is," maybe "Children of Formerly Straight Parents Tell It Like It Was," would be more accurate. Judging by the research the author has done, clearly there's a sizable demographic there. But neither my family nor my son is part of it.

This book is a heartwarming panorama of the viewpoints and experiences of kids with gay parents. I am the adult daughter of gay fathers, and as I grew up I did not really have the luxury of knowing there were others like me. That I was a grown and married woman before I discovered this does not detract from the immense value of the lesson.

When I received this book, I read it from cover to cover in one day, relentlessly devouring the many pearls of wisdom and insight shared by those like me, these fabulously different queerspawn with that one silvery, similar skein woven throughout their lives. It was a wonder to hear these voices in their choir, flawlessly directed by Abigail Garner, finally allowed to sing and sing well of their lives without fear of reprisal, without shame. Too long had I lived without the knowledge contained within; each paragraph had me nearly shouting affirmations. It is far too easy to believe that you are alone, and the stories recorded here are a blessed reminder otherwise.

There is tremendous worth in the accessibility of these anecdotes, and they all reveal a vital part of the larger picture of our lives. It is often difficult to speak of these issues with friends or even family, but the freedom of these stories is infectious. I cannot begin to express how much that alone helped me in my own journey. These stories show most sweetly that we are normal, we are zany, we are troubled, we are compassionate, that we are the legacy of the parents who raised us, and we are much, much more than just the sum of these things.

For long and long, we have been invalidated, conveniently ignored or pushed aside for the sake of political and social agendas. This book purposes to change that. There is no agenda here, just the timeless, often hilarious, often tragic stories of the children of gay parents. Families Like Mine should be a staple in the literary diet of anyone whose life is even remotely tangential to queer culture. Moreover, I daresay that anyone who is involved in the great debate about children and LGBT parents should be required to read these pages and glean wisdom from the stories within, to see that we are really no different than any other children raised in a more traditional manner. But then, what could be more traditional than love and stability and a family that rallies with pride and care around its members?

I just came out Aug '06. The book taught me that kids have to "come out" about their parents (or may choose to hide it) and it's okay! Also, my multi-sexual eldest does not want to be categorized, and it's okay! Glad to have it on my shelf.

The Frommers are terrific interviewees and their book is a history and an entertainment resource about the Catskills - what else would we expect from oral historians of their rank.

GREAT INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE CATSKILLS WERE ALL ABOUT

WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF REMINISCENCES

wonderful oral history - - -covers a lot of territory

While working at the Nevele Country Club, one of the many legendary Catskill resorts covered in this magnificent document, I briefly met Myrna and Harvey Frommer while doing their research. They probably don't remember me, I was too young at the time to offer the kind of history they were looking for, but the pair's enthusiasm and obvious love for the area's resorts and their unique (now long gone) familial atmosphere was readily apparent. When I finally got to read this book, it provided me with a sense of pride for being a part of its history. There's even an ancient picture of my father playing sax in the old Art Kahn Orchestra! But aside from personal connections, this book stands as a definitive oral history of an era. The people interviewed are true insiders, some of them legends in their own right among Catskill lore. And while the book provides some deep sociological perspective concerning its ethnic background, the authors know how to balance this with charming, amazing and often sidesplitting anecdotes. If you ever spent a weekend at Grossinger's, The Concord, The Nevele or one of the dozens of small bungalow colonies, this book will wash you in warm memories. And if you didn't have the chance, it will make you wish you did.

Doug Moo offers a great exegetical and expositional commentary with the PNTC series offering on James. Well worth the buy, if you don't have a solid commentary on James. Nothing too crazy, and lots of compelling argumentation for his positions.

I have five critical commentaries on James (Lenski, Bruce, Woods, Martin, and now Moo). This one will more than likely be the primary source for me when I study the book in a critical fashion. He is thorough and that is what I want. If you are a preacher looking for something quick and in summary form, a smaller work might be more useful. For me, as a preacher, if I am in the circumstance where I need something quick I am already in trouble. I like the Pillar Series. Not long ago I read of one's review that was overly critical of the work on the epistles of John - I do not subscribe to that sentiment at all. It is a good series!

If you are looking for an answer to a question raised about the meaning of the book of Phillipians, you could not find a better treatment. This is a wonderful resource and fine treatment of the text. I used it in a series of sermons, and found it very easy to acess and get the gems of the book.

`The Epistle of James' by James B. Adamson, 1976, 227 pages in the series The New International Commentary on the New Testament; `The Letter of James' by Douglas J. Moo, 2000, 271 pages, a volume in the series The Pillar New Testament Commentary; and `James' by Ralph P. Martin, 1988, 240 pages, A volume in the series Word Biblical Commentary are all `full featured' and recent commentaries on the first of the short `catholic' epistles in the New Testament.

I find it amazing how different the material is in these three volumes. After 1800 years of commentary, one would expect a fair amount of uniformity in thinking about this short letter, but there is a remarkable range of differences in emphasis among the three.

Those of you who are familiar with the world of biblical commentary will recognize that all three are part of major series of commentaries. Adamson and Moo belong to series dedicated to the New Testament, while Martin's volume is an offering of a larger series on both Old and New Testaments. And, each volume is organized in a way to match the editorial style of their series. This is most clearly seen in Martin's volume, as his work is organized in virtually the same way as the much larger work on Paul's Epistle to the Romans by the distinguished scholar, James D. G. Dunn. This is no surprise, as Martin is the New Testament editor for his series, the Word Biblical Commentary.

Ranked by scholarly detail, Martin has the most and Adamson has the least, with Moo somewhere in between; but don't take from this that Martin is heavy on the Greek and Adamson has no original Greek. All three are specifically written for the scholar and assume that the reader either knows classical Greek or is willing to slog through all the Greek words and expressions. The irony here is that while Martin is the most heavily scholarly, it may also be the most accessible to the lay or strictly pastoral user, since this series divides scholarly observations into the `Comments' on each paragraph, while more general thoughts are spelled out in straight English in the `Form/Structure/Setting' section and later in the `Explanation' section following the `Comments'. Adamson organizes all his `special' or more technical topics in `Excursus' sections following his main commentary. I found this just a tad distracting, especially when I discovered some mistakes in references to these Excursus sections in the main text.

All three authors give us their own translations of the text, and all three agree on where the difficult phrases are to be found. If I were to pick a volume purely on the basis of their translation, I would prefer Adamson, as he seems to give translations that best resolve these difficult sections. But, in all three cases, the authors agree on where the difficulties lie and, in general, the nature of the difficulties.

In the three authors' introductory chapter on the author, themes, and canonical status of the letter, all three agree on the major points. They uniformly agree, for example on the belief that the letter does, in fact, represent the thoughts or writings of James, the brother of Jesus, who was head of the Christian Jews in Jerusalem up to about 62 CE. They also agree that the final form of the letter was rewritten and polished sometime in the early 2nd century, CE. The authors are also uniform in their citing Martin Luther's misunderstanding of James; however, I would give Luther credit for seeing scriptural support of many Roman Catholic doctrines, even if any sound reading of `James' shows that this support is probably stretching James points just a little too far.

On the major themes of the letter, I generally prefer Martin's emphasis on the three topics of `Wisdom', `Perfection', and `The Piety of the Poor' to the other authors' interest in theology and the law. James is clearly spending less times on these typically Pauline topics than he is on lessons for a Christian life.

Among all the other differences, it is most remarkable to see all the differences between how the three authors structure an outline of the short letter. If you didn't know better, you may think they were talking about two different writings. This is just a symptom of the fact that `James' is much less a theological argument a la `Romans' and much more a collection of lessons on prayer, right Christian behavior, and the implications of faith. This is consistent with the fact that the letter has much in common with the Gospels, especially the Gospel of Matthew (See Martin).

One last difference I detect between the three is the fact that Martin makes more connections to modern theology of, for example Dietrich Bonhoffer, while Moo and Adamson have more citations to the great reformers, Calvin and Luther.

If I had to pick only one of these, I would go with Martin's volume in the Word Biblical Commentary series. If I were interested only in pastoral interpretation, I would go with Moo or the article `The Letter of James' by Luke Timothy Johnson in `The New Interpreter's Bible', since both refer heavily to the standard NIV and NRSV translations. If your interest is in a scholarly study of the letter, you will probably want all three.

This is Moo's second commentary on the epistle of James. He wrote his first one in 1985 as part of the Tyndale series. This commentary is the result of fifteen years of reflection on that work. The content of this commentary makes it evident that this is the mature thought of a noted scholar on the letter of James. Those fifteen years left him more convinced "that the heart of the letter is a call to wholehearted commitment to Christ" (x).
Moo provides a lengthy introduction to this epistle (46 pages worth). This introduction includes the history of James in the church, nature and genre, authorship, theology, occasion and date, and structure of James. Concerning authorship, Moo holds that James, the bother of Christ, is the author. He presents arguments against this traditional view and then answers them. The section on the theology of the book is a feature more commentaries would do well to include. He dates the writing of the letter around the middle of the 40s AD. This is important because the date of writing has great implication on the relationship of the letter to Paul's teachings. Moo does not place a ridge structure on the letter. Instead, he finds "several key motifs" which "are often mixed together with other themes in paragraphs that cannot be labeled as neatly as we might like" (45). Denying the assertion of some commentators that the letter has no unifying purpose, Moo argues that the central concern of the letter is spiritual wholeness of the readers (47).
Moo's analysis of the text is insightful. His word studies are well done. He presents a wide range of possible meanings but uses the context to determine which meaning is James's meaning. Moo also does a good job in showing James's relationship with Paul. James is not writing against Paul. James means something different by faith than does Paul. They are addressing different problems.
The format of the commentary is user friendly for the most part. One helpful aspect is that Moo's introductory notes precede the verse by verse exposition of major points and most sub-points. Moo transliterates Greek words making the commentary usable to those who do not have the advantage of knowing Greek. One slight critique concerns the chapter divisions. The chapter divisions of the commentary are based on the chapters of James. This is fine, but the table of contents is broken down by his outline. One would whish the editors would choose a method of division and stay with it. The only other criticism is that Moo's writing style can be difficult at times. These two minor criticisms in no way change the fact that this is a masterpiece. It is short at only 251 pages not counting indexes. Anyone from a layperson to a scholar will benefit from this commentary. This reviewer would recommend it without hesitation (something he does not do often).