O Books

Perhaps the best book ever to explain why New Zealand is not the USA with minor differences. There are considerable cultural and societal differences which may escape the visitor unless and until they experience New Zealand on a deep level. Some find the mysterious aspects of her experience of the Maori culture to be doubtful or merely coincidence. Those born in New Zealand will understand them and will not be surprised.

My mother mailed me this book from America to New Zealand because I have recently arrived in NZ and I will be living in New Zealand for the next year. I find Carol O'Bistro's insights about New Zealand culture relevent and insightful for a current long-term visitor. Her writing is lyrical and fun to read. I wonder what she is doing now.

Thought provoking, moving and fun. The story is told in a masterful way that made me laugh, cry and sit-up thinking about it for a week after I read it. The author takes you along on her own personal journey and as her New York City eyes and heart transform into something miraculous so does the readers'. It touches the heart and reminds us of our humanity in the most magnificent way. Read it slowly; you won't want it to end!

I bought this book when I was visiting New Zealand in 1988 where people kept recommending it, and I am just now rereading it for something like the fifth time--including one time with a discussion group. This time through I am finding new delights that I must have skimmed over before. Parts of the book are naively New-Agey, but even those parts are personal and honest and fun to read. It is the story of a woman whose job takes her into the middle of an enormous cultural shift, and she manages to stay in the middle--between the world views of American bureaucracy and a traditional people's values, and somehow to walk that precarious boundary and to be receptive to the ways it changes her. It's an amazing story.

On September 10, 1984, at first light, New York's Fifth Avenue was the scene of an unusual ceremony. On the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art a group of Maori women wailed the ritual welcome: HAERE MAI !! Their calls were answered and taken up by a group of Maori elders down the avenue, their leader in a feathered cloak, their path cleared of evil spirits by a small band of tattooed warriors ferociously thrusting their spears.

It was opening day of a groundbreaking exhibition at the Met: Te Maori: Maori Art from New Zealand Collections. The elders were in New York to lift the tapu and open the exhibition. Their greeting was for their ancestors, spiritually residing in the 174 taonga (treasures) on display outside New Zealand for the first time. Nine years in the planning, Te Maori was the culmination of a massive exercise in politics and logistics.

Carol O'Biso was the registrar of the exhibition, responsible for the packing and safe passage of these treasures collected from a number of New Zealand museums. First Light: A Magical Journey is her lyrical story of this great adventure.

The "cultural artifacts" are believed by the Maori to be sacred and powerful. Carol, overwhelmed at first by the vast divide between her New York self and the ancient Maori beliefs, struggled to do her job in the midst of controversy over the exhibition. She was excluded by Maori custom from speaking at the many ritual gatherings in museums and meeting houses. Frustration was her constant companion, in those early days. Gradually the power of the collection became entirely real to her and she found herself honoring the treasures in ways she would not have found possible.

Carol spent several years packing, shipping and unpacking the irreplaceable treasures and was under their spell when she returned them to New Zealand in 1986. She handed them over, in yet another ceremony that left her in tears, to a New Zealand registrar for their awe-inspiring progress through New Zealand museums.

Carol's story is a very personal one and some of her early impressions of New Zealand were less than favorable. However the country's charm and especially the strength of the Maoris' respect for their culture led her to a deep appreciation of The Land of the Long White Cloud.

I had the privilege of seeing Te Maori in New Zealand, and First Light brought back vivid memories of its power. I read the book in the early 1990s and then gave it away (read it! you'll love it!), and when I found a copy on Amazon this month I was delighted to be reacquainted with it.

Linda Bulger, 2008

The book has interesting visuals, set-up for taking notes, and covers a wide range of what is contained in the history and present of the study of the mind in relation to the body.
I think it will definitely help me in my entry-level Psychology course.

As an Intro Psych instructor, I reviewed dozens of psychology texts. Gray's "Psychology" is clearly the best.

First, because it is written by a single author, it maintains a consistent style and viewpoint throughout--that is, the application of evolutionary biology and cognitive science to the study of the mind and behavior. Consequently, he does not shy away from putting forward strong arguments where they are needed. On this, see especially his superb discussion of the fall of behaviorism and the rise of cognitivism.

Second, the author has a powerful command of several lines of important research, and he uses this to "smarten up" the text to make it *more* understandable. As an example, see particularly his discussions of the heritability of intelligence.

Third, the text is beautifully organized.

The text does, however, suffer from two small weaknesses: the discussion of self-esteem owes too much to James, with James' errors especially, and the discussion of mental health and happiness needlessly bore little imprint from the chapters on cognition.

Still, Gray produced a superlative volume.

If truth be told, I do not even like psychology, and feel contemt of some sort for it.I took it this semester to fulfill my humanity requirement.Nevertheless, I cannot deny that this book is wonderfully written, and it was a true pleasure reading it ! Peter Gray is obviously very fond of psychology, as well as of teaching it.It was much fun reading a book written so sensitively and with so much enthusiasm. I know many universities assign this book and am therefore surprised only one person reviewed it so far.

The first day of class my professor felt free to note that the text for her class was boring, in the opinion of some of her students. After reading it myself, I had to disagree. The text is one of the better ones I've read. I took AP Psych in high school and the text used there was boring. This textbook, however, presents Psychology in an interesting light. The first chapter, on the founders of Psychology is written so that you can actually make sense of it. Most cases studies of the guys like Freud, Wundt and the like proved to be boring for me, but not in this text. The authors also go out of thier way to make sure that you understand what you are reading through the questions that appear in the margins of the text. The book also features comics and interesting pictures relating to the subject matter. This book is not your typical "college text." I also recommend the study guide. It has self tests that you can use to study for the final.

I thought this text was great--it provides information in a very clear and well-explained manner for the student who has never taken a psychology course before. Gray proves he has a sense of humor as well, injecting funny lines every now and then. It provides a lot of pertinent information in an interesting manner, and covers everything from theories on development and society to cognition and neuroscience. After finishing my intro psych class I even found myself wishing I could still use the text for my other classes (in fact I still refer to it every now and then).

This is more of a guide book that fits quite nicely in your lab coat pocket. As nutrient and medications are explained, there are many more advantages such as references to specific lab values and thier normal limits, nutrient and micronutrient food sources, height-weight tables, ideal body weight calculations and more. A must for any health professional not directly working with medications.

I purchased this book because it's a standard reference book for us dietitians. Even so, my family and friends also use this book to research their current prescription medications. The information is easy to follow, even if you're not a healthcare professional. The back of the book contains additional handy reference pages, such as the normal ranges for many blood tests and common causes for out-of-range test results; dietary sources of vitamins, minerals, oxalates, and phytic acid (especially important for people with certain chronic illnesses to know); and a list of meds that are affected by grapefruit. I feel this book can be very helpful for people who need to cope with chronic illness(es) that require dietary adjustments and/or multiple prescription medications.

This book was required for a nutrition class, and it's quite a wonderful resource. Everything is neatly labeled and in order, making it easy to find the medication and all interactions/warnings. A great resource for anyone who wants to understand more about the meds they are taking, or for those who care for them!

Excellent pocket refrence for any dietetic student, dietitian or nutritionist. Fits easily into pocket for easy access and provides valuable information for todays healthcare enviroment.

I'm currently a Dietetic Intern. This book has been, and still is, a useful pocket book guide that I use everyday for my internship. The book has almost all the medications that I currently deal with in my clinical rotation. The type of information that this book gives are as follows:

1. Alternative Name(s)
2. The drug's affect
3. Diet (with our without food), what foods to avoid with the med (ie. grapefruit)
4. Oral/GI affects
5. S/Conds
6. Affects on Pregnancy
7. Blood/Serum affects
8. Urinary affects
9. What to monitor
10. Ways to be adminstered (the drug)
11. and more

Additionally, the book provides (what I find to be very useful) are Lab Values, their normal ranges, and reasons why they might be elevated or below normal limits.

There is more within this pocket guide.

The only thing I don't like is that it says "Pocket Guide"; it's not really that small, it's quite big. Don't expect it to fit in your pant pocket. It will fit in your lab coat pocket, but it's quite still big. I suggest to carry it with your binder. Just don't misplace it; I've done it many times already on the different hospital floors.

I highly recommend this food and drug medication guide -- especially those in the dietetics profession.

For Executive's Only is a valuable career resource. The authors provide a practical and actionable plan to not only find your next job, but more importantly, find out what your next job should be. This is far more involved than a typical self help book that gives resume pointers. The book walks you through an entire self assessment and career targeting process that is based on Strategic Planning processes used every day in business. The punch line - Why put any less effort or strategy into building your personal career?

A quick read - I read it on a plane trip - that can provide years of useful advice.

Bill Belknap has been a consultant of mine for several years, and his pithy, straight-forward style is embodied in this book. I would describe it as a "see the forest through the trees" perspective on self-assessment and selling oneself. Whether it's selling a product, consulting services or oneself, Bill's perspective is high level, to the point, and action oriented. Very useful!

Anyone in a job humting mode will find this book chock full of great advice. Not a 'cookie cutter' approach, it challanges the reader to think outside standard hunting techniques that could cost thousands through outplacemnent firms and ties them together in an easy to read and apply philosophy. Well worth the investment.

The Five O'Clock Club strategy shows you how to build an entire cadre of self-marketing tools for the job search including the all important, attention-grabbing resume. Advice is specific and down to earth with great examples. You'll swear they walked in your shoes. Carol O'Brien

If you've just heard that your department is being reorganized, or you've simply had one too many bad days at work, order this book rush delivery and set aside the next night for an easy, practical and inspiring solution to your next job search.

I was able to get through the book in one night, and then start the next morning out of the box with a solid game plan, knowing exactly where to start on my search. There's no fluff here, just a straightforward guideline of what to do the first day, the first week, and on through negotiating your offer and starting your new position on the right foot.

This is not a self-help book; this is a tactical guide emphasizing strategic planning. It suggests one should dedicate the same energy, research, preparedness, long and short term organization, and confidence that we give to any presentation or business initiative to our search for the next great career move. And in doing so, just as you'd never suggest your firm enter a market you didn't truly believe in, you should only consider industries, companies and managers where you're certain your values and skills will be a successful fit. "So here is your challenge: don't settle for just a "good job". Plan for a great job. And to plan for a great job means you must seek work where and how you will perform best." This really resonated with me, it is true that for every work challenge I'd prepare vigorously, anticipating questions, laying out a timeline, etc. but I was not giving that same level of attention or forethought to my job search.

It's hard to believe that such a quick read can encompass 1) a confidence-building and eye opening assessment of your past successes and interests, 2) a reminder of the importance of a whole-life balance (if your life outside of work is neglected, your job performance and morale will inevitably suffer), 3) the importance of finding a firm that supports your core values, 4) clear steps towards researching your target industries and firms, 5) a manageable networking plan including great ideas for new contacts ("my mother in law plays bridge with the mother of the CEO of ???") 6) the importance of and how to hone a polished answer for the interview question "so tell me about yourself" 7) and - boy do I wish I'd done this before signing on to my last job - performing due diligence on your new manager, and your manager's manager.

This book is a winner, intelligent and savvy, and laid out in a way that reduces job search anxiety. You know exactly what should be on your to-do list each day, and how to tell if you're staying on course, and if not, how to steer it back in the right direction. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about finding your next position, buy this book. I guarantee you'll have many "aha" moments, many reminders of what you've been doing right, what you can do better, and a winning crib sheet for any aspect of your search.

My teenage girl's youth group at church are reading this book and studying the Book of Esther. As their teacher, this book has been a wonderful learning tool and really opened the girls up to share their personal stories of what it's like to be a teenage girl in America today. They really enjoy Lisa's writing and have already asked to do another of her books in class. Thanks, Lisa for your book.

This book is written for the middle school ag.. hence the reason that the slang is so far off... (as noted in the previous reveiw) It is a great book about becoming a modern day Esther.

This was a great book!!! Even thought I am still reading it, It's already making me think about who I am and what I should be working on I love this book! It tottally makes Gods word fun!

This book covers a wide variety of topics, makes them relevant and understandable, and forces the reader to apply them to daily life. Great to use as a chapter-a-day devotional and encompasses everything a young girl should know!

Esther's story is my favorite story in the Bible. She was a very strong woman who was fearless (she was not afriad to be herself). Lisa Ryan has done a great job applying this fabulous story to life as a young woman today. I found that the writing was somewhat silly (Mrs. Ryan sometimes used slang never spoken by anyone outside of middle school), but the message was awesome. Every girl should read this book!

C. John Collins (Professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary) has written an excellent study of Genesis 1-4. After introductory material and a description of his methodology, the heart of the book is a chapter each on The Creation Week, The Garden of Eden, The Fall, and After Eden. Each of these four chapters includes sections on translations & notes, literary-theological exposition, extra notes, and reverberations (ways in which the material from Genesis has been taken up in the Psalms and the New Testament). Extra Notes include topics like creation from nothing, "evening and morning," the meaning of kind, the image of God, use of the words create and make, the goodness of creation, what were the two trees, how long was the creation week (he favors the analogical days interpretation), was Adam made mortal, the curse and nature, are Adam and Eve the parents of all mankind,where did Cain's wife come from, etc.

These are followed by chapters on Sources, Unity & Authorship (in which he discusses the arguments for the Documentary Hypothesis, then gives his reasons for concluding that Moses is the primary author), The Communicative Purpose, questions of history & science, and appropriating Genesis 1-4 today.

He even explains why he chose to include Genesis 4 in this book about "The Beginning." I found Genesis 1-4 to be a well-documented, well-reasoned study that is eminently suitable for a layman like myself.

Having just begun a study of Genesis when I purchased this book, I must say that it was money well spent. Collins is the general editor of the Old Testament translation of the English Standard Version (ESV), a newer and highly 'literal' Bible. His proficiency in ancient languages and literature, philology, theology, exegetics, source studies and theories, and biblical scholarship generally (ancient, modern, recent, and current) is evident throughout this volume and is consistently a necessary antidote to dogmatic and sometimes reckless expositions by supposed experts of both the conservative and liberal varieties. At once Collins is orthodox, cautious (appropriately tentative), informed (scholarly), and given to carefully analyzing the interpretational assertions and shortcomings of all commonly touted exegetic and scholarly schools. Most importantly, he rightly asks that we not defer so readily to our post Enlightenment expectations of 'normal' narrative and instead cooperate with evidences of the author's intent.

There have always been questions and disagreements as to the correct understanding of these texts, and, for the last two centuries, questions and disagreements as to the sources and motives involved in the texts. For Collins, all of these issues, as they relate to the chapters being studied, are scrutinized. After explaining why we must reject the expositional assertions of some readers and scholars--that these texts not be viewed through the lenses of subsequent ancient writers, Collins examines the "allusions, echoes, and reverberations" relating to these texts that we find in later Old Testament, inter-testamental, and New Testament writings.

As must be expected, Collins' expositions and conclusions may not please those who enter into Biblical studies with firm conclusions already demanded at the outset. Some may disapprove of his frequent examination of the inter-testament writings, but to do so would be to misunderstand the larger expositional process. Some may dislike his conclusions regarding the meaning of the Genesis 1 creation "days," but his position seems well supported and appropriately tentative (as I believe any honest treatment must be). He finds the "literal" (i.e., "normal day" or "24-hour day" theory) understanding to be inconsistent with, and uncooperative with, immediate texts and later reverberations. He seems to take a position that embraces the "literary" understanding as to the "days" being structural literary devices, but also goes at least part way with the "day-age" theory in that he sees no reason to set aside the abstract sequence of the discourse. (Collins shows no interest in the "revelation" theory of Genesis 1 days, and it seems that none may be warranted). He is correct that we need not trenchantly encase our understanding in any single theory (if you think you understand how creation worked/works, start reading at Job 38, smarty-pants!) His exposition on the nature of the genealogies of Genesis 4 is informed by a relatively quick but [I believe] decisive examination of echoes (OT, Apocrypha, NT), supporting a conclusion that if one looks to the genealogies as being intended to produce mathematical sums, sharply defining temporal history, one must then choose not to cooperate with the author's intent, which, without doubt, was about lineages and relationships and not about modernist expectations of 'history'. That the genealogies permit (and contain) gaps, even significant gaps, is demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt (by direct comparison of echoing accounts). That none of the Bible's writers had any interest in calculating genealogical sums toward the modernists' concept of history, should, of itself, be instructive. This was never their intent.

Having read Richard Friedman's articulation of the Documentary Hypothesis (source criticism, "higher criticism"), I found Collins' treatment of source criticism to be quite valuable. S.R. Driver's positions are critically analyzed as well as Friedman's, and the Documentary Hypothesis receives serious damage from Collins' examination of the literary clues found in these four chapters (the focus of this book), although he suggests that the same result applies to the entire scope of the Documentary Hypothesis if subjected to literary analysis. (As Collins points out, while source criticism traces its inspiration to assumptions that the materialist MUST posit concerning sacred texts, apart from the "motive" aspects of source theories, source criticism, per se, is not inherently incompatible with theistic expectations of scripture.) Before summarizing his treatment of source theories, Collins writes: "Do these pericopes come from separate sources or not? There is no way to answer this question, since the putative sources no longer exist. But for each feature that is put forward to support the source theory, it turns out that literary and grammatical considerations supply a better explanation in terms of the overall flow of the narrative. In other words, if someone produced this text by stitching sources together, he left the seams smooth indeed." pg 231 Stepping briefly beyond the four focus chapters (but with an eye to a tie-in), Collins also discusses the expositions and arguments that K.A. Kitchen has recently brought to bear against the Documentary Hypothesis, showing that, at least certain specific texts within the Pentateuch would have to have been composed in the 12th or 13th century BC, and further, that the texts containing features that can only be explained rationally by placing then in that era would have to have been written by someone with a conspicuous high education in that era's best literary art and style. Among the Hebrews (slaves in Egypt), who could fit this description and be capable of producing the kind of literary eloquence we find in Genesis 1, for example. The obvious candidate is inescapable, his name is Moses ("educated in all the learning of the Egyptians. . . a man of power in words" [Acts 7:22], see also Ex. 2:10, Heb. 11:24-27). No, this doesn't establish, or necessarily even support, the traditional viewpoint that Moses was THE author of the Pentateuch. This traditional view is unwarranted in its extremity, unsupported from scripture, and certainly not Collins' understanding. The full picture of authorship/editorship of the Pentateuch cannot be painted, but the Documentary explanation is unwarranted (though interesting).

A properly informed understanding of these first texts of the Bible is of tremendous value in understanding the whole of scripture (and, as any good contextualist would note, the reciprocal is true as well). This is probably the best book of its kind available.

Dr. 'Jack' Collins, a professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO., has made accessible to laity and laymen alike, a very sound explanation and commentary on perhaps the most important chapters of the Bible. Writing from a conservative, Reformed viewpoint and with an eye of assisting pastors, other scholars and the layman who wishes to educate himself with a sound interpretation of the text, Collins is careful to avoid extremes and his writing is balanced. As he indicates in the introduction, he could have made a very long volume with his notes, but his text is tightly written, with an outstanding bibliography for those who want to dig deeper on the subject.

Collins writes about the Biblical text from what is called a discourse-literary approach, which he judges to be his most important contribution to this first section of the Bible. He wants to show how the ancient languages and literature apply to not only us today, but especially to their first audience, how it fits within the whole of the Bible's canon and what its theological point is. In a sense, he writes and explains the Genesis 1-4 as a story, told to a particular people, with certain language markers that would have mattered greatly to them. This book would fall under the category of Biblical rather than Systematic theology, regarding the text.

It is absolutely essential for the reader to grasp the first section of the book, where Collins explains why and how understanding the literary nature of the text matters. Collins does spend about 200 pages specifically interpreting the text of the four chapters, which makes up the middle section of the book. He concludes the book with a discussion on the authorship (which he asserts was Moses about the time of the Exodus), what the point of Genesis 1-4 was, and finally of special interest to our particular age, a discussion on Genesis 1-4 through history and science.

Collins was a MIT educated engineer before pursuing a ministerial and academic career in theology. His principle comments about modern creation science, that Genesis 1 - 4 neither agrees or disagrees with attempts to force to highly literalistic approach beyond what is in the Bible is consistent with his exegesis of the Bible. Collins, certainly an advocate for special, supernatural creation, is careful to not make the Bible say what others have made it say.

This is an excellent commentary, for pastors and interested laymen alike. The reader will gain fresh perspectives on the text by attempting to understand it first as literature with a theological point, about how the God of the Bible wants to interact with his people, through space and time. The reader probably will not be able to find a more contemporary and accessible book of this kind available today.

If interested in Dr. Collins thoughts specifically on the role of science, faith and origins, the readers might be interested in Science and Faith: Friend or Foes.

Collins has produced a truly scholarly and masterful exegesis of the opening chapters of Genesis. With careful attention to the language and conventions of the text, and with an eye towards historic Reformed theology, he argues that the narrative is an "exalted prose narrative" that is at once historically grounded in and analogical to the ordinary human experiences of the text's original readers. This is a useful corrective to those who insist, for example, that the "days" of creation are "ordinary" days, as well as to those who hold that the text is merely mythopoetic. He does this while addressing other views critically but respectfully. Whatever position you hold on the meaning of the Biblical creation narrative, you should admire Collins' work for both its substance and spirit.

Genesis is the most important book of the Bible. If you take Genesis away, then the Bible would be a mystery. It is the foundation that gives rise to all that we see of covenantal history (from the Adamic Covenant to the Abrahamic Covenant, from the Davidic Covenant to Christ's Covenant with the church, i.e., both Jew and Gentiles). To take away, to strip away, the importance of Genesis (and for that matter, the whole of the Torah) in the Church has helped to decay the church. Thus the need for the church to reexamine and again explore the beauty of the Torah, starting with the most important book, Genesis.

Thus the reason I come to this book by Mr. Collins, out of desire to know and learn. This book has helped me to see even more the different levels of messages God, Yahweh, has for us the church, in the first few chapters of Genesis. With painstaking detail and examination, Collins explores every nuance and message and foci from Chapter 1 through Chapter 4 of Genesis. Every rock is turned over, every stone allowed to sing praise to Yahweh. When you combine the information that we see in Collins work with, say, works like A Biblical Case for an Old Earth by David Snoke, we are truly blessed by God's message.

And more so, this book by Collins helps us to once again understand the foci of Yahweh's message through Moses. Genesis, mind you, was not written for modern readers to help us debate such topics as evolution, instead it was a message from Yahweh to the Jewish people to help them realize that the same Creator of the universe, of this world, of them, is the same Creator who rescued them from Egypt...and who would one day rescue them from Sin (through Yeshua, Jesus Christ). And yet, Genesis DOES have so much to tell us today, so much to help us realize that is TRUE in this postmodern "who cares" world we live in now.

Of course, mind you, at times the work might seem a bit dry to those who are not fully interested in the subject matter. You have to know what you are reading about, thus a casual reader would probably not understand the theological and historical and literary implications Collins is describing in his work. I would suggest that this book be read, not by the casual reader (for that person you should read "How to Read Genesis by Longman III), but instead a healthy reading by at the very least a Seminary student. If not, some of the important nuances will just pass you by and you will not understand.

But for those who do understand, much wisdom can be found in Collin's book. Again, I highly suggest that a true scholarly student of Genesis should pick this book up. If he or she likes this book, then I suggest the above mentioned work by Snoke and Longman, along with others like Kline. The Old Testament, starting with the Book of Genesis (and all through the Torah), is a true important work that the Christian church of today will be lost without. We must once again seek the Jewish roots, and, even more precise, the Abrahamic roots, of our religion, Christianity, where we come to Yahweh through Yeshua/Jesus Christ.

I run a board on Paltalk ( Chat room ) called Ex Jehovah's Witness who now follow Jesus. We cite this book continually. Carl Jonsson presented this material to the top guys at Brooklyn NY and he was told to keep quite, he did not, and for this they disfellowshipped him. I am sad that the truth is hidden by the powers that control the Watchtower supress this information that is found in this book.

Carl Jonsson, does excellent work, check out his other books as well!

I can honestly say that Carl Olof Jonsson deserves a Ph.D for this incredible work. "The Gentile Times Reconsidered" is an exhaustive investigation of the historical, archaeological, and biblical evidence used in support of the Watchtower's date of 1914 for Christ's second coming. Needless to say, Jonsson completely obliterated, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Watchtower is incorrect in their chronology.

For those uninformed on the issue, the Watchtower maintains that Christ returned invisibly in 1914 to establish His kingdom. Allow me to sum this up as succinctly as I can. Luke 21:14, according to the Watchtower, supports the contention that the "Times of the Gentiles" began in 607 with the destruction of Jerusalem and will continue until "that time comes to an end." This is connected with Daniel 4, whereby Nebuchadnezzar describes a dream in which a large tree gets cut down. The Watchtower claims, on what authority I have no idea, that this represents God's rulership. The dream mentions "seven times," which corresponds to 2,520 years in accordance with their "year-day principle" in comparing Revelation 12:6,14 with Numbers 14:34. In other words, Revelation 12:6,14 claims that "3 1/2 times" equals 1260 days. Therefore, 7 times would equal 2,520 days. In order to fit this with their timeline, the Watchtower interprets these days as years. So when you add 2,520 years to 607 B.C., you get 1914.

Of course, this is littered with problems. About half of the book deals with archaeology and history; the other half with theology. I was thankful to find an emphasis on Jonsson's part to harmonize the secular evidence with the Biblical. It is no secret that most of today's archaeologists are no friend to the Bible. Therefore, when scholars attempt to find conflict with the Bible and archaeology, Jonsson was quick to refute. At any rate, the Jonsson reasoned, beyond any doubt, that the Watchtower's chronology is incorrect.

Basically, the chronology fails in their attempt to defend 607 B.C. as the date when Jerusalem fell. If the Watchtower is correct, then the witness of thousands of independent sources from various locations and times are wrong. But how can this be? Was there a conspiracy amongst the ancient Babylonians to throw the Watchtower's chronology off by 20 years? The Watchtower would never suggest this, but attempts to override these irrefutable evidences by attacking them with unsubstantiated claims and assumptions.

Fortunately, Jonnson's work spends a great deal of time rebutting the Watchtower's attempt to deal with the evidence. Anyone who has studied Watchtower literature knows that they are experts at misrepresenting scholars. The quoting of scholars in this case is no exception. Let me share an example. In the Watchtower publication, "Let your kingdom come," p. 187 they try to present the picture that Babylonian history might be in error, and that yet undiscovered material could drastically alter the chronology:

"Professor Edward F. Cambell, Jr., introduced a chart, which included Neo-Babylonian chronology, with the caution: 'It goes without saying that these lists are provisional. The more one studies the intricacies of the chronological problems in the ancient Near East, the less he is inclined to think of any presentation as final. For this reason, the term "circa" [about] could be used even more liberally than it is.'"

As Jonnson points out, the Watchtower did not mention that the chart referred to "covers the chronologies of Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, Assyria and Babylon from c. 3800 to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., and although the term "circa" is placed before many of the reigns given in the lists for this long period, no circas are placed before any of the reigns given for the kings of the Neo-Babylonian period!" (p. 292)

So much for doubting the accuracy of the Neo-Babylonian sources!

The theological treatment of the chronology in this work was outstanding. It is the temptation of many Jehovah's Witnesses, when bombarded with this information, to say things to the affect of, "well even if the history doesn't match up, we're sticking to the Bible!" The problem is, you cannot establish an absolute date in this period of ancient history without appealing to the evidences mentioned in this work. Therefore, the Jehovah's Witness has two options, 1) abandon the 1914 date since we apparently can't accurately establish an ancient date, or 2) abandon the 1914 date because it conflicts with the evidence. The Watchtower can't have their cake and eat it too. Their standards are inconsistent and it is about time that they accept the reality.

But what about the Watchtower's claim that 1914 is supported Biblically? Nothing could be further from the truth. The Babylonian chronologies are in strong agreement with the Bible. The Watchtower would have us believe that the 70 years prophecy of Jeremiah 25:11 began in 607 B.C. with the fall of Jerusalem. There are two errors here. First, the destruction of Jerusalem didn't begin in 607 B.C., as pointed out earlier. But second, the 70 years did not begin with the destruction of Jerusalem. Instead, it began with the vassalage and servitude given to Nebuchadnezzar.

Jeremiah 25:11 says, "This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years." Even a cursory reading of this verse shows that the seventy years isn't referring to the destruction of Jerusalem; it is referring to the servitude to the king of Babylon. In other words, the nations will serve Babylon for seventy years. Yes, the desolation is part of the prophecy. But the text simply says "this whole land WILL BE a desolation," not "for seventy years this land will be a desolation." But there are more problems. The Watchtower would, in fact, agree that Jerusalem would live in servitude to Babylon. And it cannot be denied from the text that this servitude would last 70 years. But think about this. If the servitude to Nebuchadnezzar began in 607 with the desolation, when did it end? 70 years would lead us to 637. But did Jerusalem stop serving Babylon in 639 or 637? Exactly. 639 B.C. In fact, according to Jeremiah 25:12, the seventy years would end when the king of Babylon is punished. When did that happen? 639 or 637? (the answer is 639) It sounds to me like the Watchtower chronology isn't that "biblical" after all! What's more is what Jeremiah 25:9 says:

"and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation."

Who are "all these nations round about?" Surely this is not simply referring to Jerusalem alone? Jeremiah 25:17-26 make this clear. But were these nations all destroyed in the same year? I think we're beginning to see that the Watchtower has a few things on their plate that they overlooked.

But why does this issue really matter? This issue matters because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses are under the control of the Watchtower. They do not think for themselves; they think what the Watchtower tells them to think. I've been involved in personal Bible studies with Jehovah's Witnesses for practically the entire year of 2007 and i've seen this firsthand. The gospel is completely repelled because these people refuse to look at it because of their blindness. Few realize how important 1914 is to the Jehovah's Witness:

"Let the honest-hearted person compare the kind of preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom done by the religious systems of Christendom during all the centuries with that done by Jehovah's Witnesses since the end of World War I in 1918. They are not one and the same kind. That of Jehovah's Witnesses is really 'gospel,' or 'good news,' as of God's heavenly kingdom that was established by the enthronement of his Son Jesus Christ at the end of the Gentile Times in 1914." (Watchtower, May 1, 1981)

It is clear from the above quote that 1914 is, to the Jehovah's Witnesses, "gospel." This is why the Watchtower has been able to survive, given all the false prophecies they've given in the past; they cannot deny the "reality" of 1914 and Christ's heavenly kingdom established. The organization stands or falls on this fact. That is why this is so important. Your everyday Jehovah's Witness, unless he is a scholar of the organization, has no idea that there is controversy and reason to doubt the chronology (which encompasses the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses that would come to your door). One only hopes that, when shown this information, the Jehovah's Witness will begin the process of thinking for himself. And, by God's Grace, this will lead him to accepting Jesus Christ as his God and Savior (Titus 2:13).

Having been deceived, for so many years into believing that the 607/1914 doctrine of Jehovah's witnesses, I decided not to repeat the same mistake of blindly trusting someone, so I thouroughly checked everything that is stated by Carl Olof Jonsson.

I bought dozens of books that deal with the Neo Babylonian era, I contacted historians and astronomers, and came to the conclusion that Carl Olof Jonsson did a wonderful work.

For all those that want to save time and money, just read Gentile Times Reconsidered, 4th edition, it is all in there. You do not need to look any further. The lie of 607/1914 is clearly exposed.

Great book. Very detailed and technical so that there's no doubt that the information that is relayed is understood. The author obviously did his research by the wealth of information that he provides for the basis of his thought. For anyone out there that doubts this authors facts or still holds onto the 1914 date, he has cited all works (a plethora of them), people and places (i.e. museums) so that you can go back and check the information for yourself.

As most who would read this book know, the 1914 date is doctrinally central to the Jehovah's Witness movement (often referred to by Witnesses as "the Truth"). Unlike the Faithful Slave or the Paradise or the rapidly approaching End, the 1914 date does not play a vital emotional role in Jehovah's Witnesses' lives, but these doctrines are all inextricably bound up with the 1914 date. And 1914 CE is founded on 607 BCE.
If the 607 BCE date is really the one indicated by the Bible, this would be one of the greatest proofs for how unhistorical the Bible is, for it would put the Bible in conflict with the harmonious chronologies of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon for a significant period of ancient history. As with its claim to have "restored" of the name "Jehovah" to the New Testament after it was removed in hundreds of instances so completely and at such an early date that not a single manuscript survives containing the ineffable Name, the Watchtower Society demonstrates more interest in supporting the doctrines unique to its sect then in defending the Bible. However, the Bible's value for a religion should not be dependent on its value as a historical book; to dismiss a whole religion over trivial details of history is unfair. Nonetheless, one would expect truth in one area of life (religion) to be in some sort of harmony with truth in another area (history). The chronology used by scholars is established by thousands of ancient texts, some of which are contemporaneous with the events described. Furthermore, without these ancient texts it is impossible to convert the Bible's relative chronology into an absolute chronology. Jonsson's comprehensive and authoritative book defends the Bible's essential harmony with history against the claims of Jehovah's Witnesses, their apologists (particularly Rolf Furuli), and those whose similar agendas cause them to create new chronologies. In order to do this, he explains how the chronologies of Babylon and Assyria are determined and comments on relevant passages in the Bible. He also provides an outline of the history of the development of the hermeneutical principles underlying the Jehovah's Witnesses' exegesis of time prophecies related to the calculation of the Gentile Times. His work is authoritative precisely because it is not original. Rather, it represents a systematic and virtually exhaustive presentation of data from scholarly authorities.

Vincent P. O'Hara's "The German Fleet at War" is an impressively researched and highly informative look at a subject little known to American and British World War II buffs. Even serious students of the war believe that after the sinkings of the "Graf Spee" and "Bismarck," Germany's naval war switched almost exclusively to it U-boats. O'Hara demonstrates that not only is this untrue, but that German surface forces continued to battle the Allies until only weeks before the 1945 Nazi surrender. CounterclockwiseEvery Shape, Every Shadow: A Novel of Guadalcanalder.

Roger L. Conlee
Author of "Every Shape, Every Shadow" and "Counterclockwise"

If you are interested in reading a well-researched, single-volume study of the German Navy in the Second World War, this is definitely the book for you. In addition to being a highly readable work, it is a fine piece of scholarship. My compliments to the author.

As a fan of the little recorded small unit naval actions, it has been a frustrating experience watching book after book come out on Kriegsmarine captial ships (which spent most of the war at anchor) or endless, repetitive coverage on U-boats. The Destroyers, torpedo boats, minesweepers and escorts that actually fought regular surface actions have been little covered, and the reports written by the Allied sources often give a one-sided and often inaccurate account of many actions.

In this account Mr. O'Hara has produced a balanced, well researched record of specific surface actions from the battles involving the Bismarck to the sharp actions of German minesweepers off the Channel Islands and the encounters between US destroyers and German corvettes and destroyers in the Mediterranean. As an example of his research, Mr. O'Hara checked primary sources (both USN and German) to determine that the USS Gleaves and three destroyers of the 10th Torpedoboote Flottille actually traded shots one night late in 1944. The Gleaves' history describes an action with German merchant ships while the history of the German flotilla describes encountering a "large French destroyer." Neither side recorded the actual opponent correctly and recent publications still show these as two separate battles! His piecing together the puzzle here helps better define one of the rare encounters between German and US warships and is a tribute to his effort.

This book is well worth the price and is unlike any book I have read before of the Kriegsmarine.

Finally! Mr. O'Hara is to be lauded for the magnificent effort of showing that Kriegsmarine was not only the U-boats, the Bismarck, Tirpitz, and the Graf Spee, but a lot more, and that German sailors, just like their Allied counterparts, fought the numbing war of small skirmishes, ill defined night actions, endless watches, and fought with determination and courage. This is a well researched book, based on both Allied and OKM sources, filled with a plethora of convincingly presented facts which, for many readers, will provide astonishing insights. Those with more professional interest, will find the book simply a very good read, worth an evening or two, and also quite illuminating.

O'Hara has written a valuable reference for World War II enthusiasts. I've long had an interest in the Kriegsmarine and was pleased to add "The German Fleet at War" to my library. I look forward to future books from this author.

This is a fantastic book for any man, but especially a man who desires to please God with his life. It is basically a devotional from the book of Psalms which uses the word "path" many times. The author uses a western theme and relates this to be like a "trail" that you take. He has great stories to illustrate the choices of trails that have been taken by those who have gone before us, good and bad. It is a must read for young men just graduating, men in their prime, and even older men who would like to salvage what is left. I just wish it was still in print and easier to obtain a copy.

It was such a pleasure to read this book! Farrar uniquely bolsters men in their walk. He places failure and fear in the correct biblical perspective and provides us with biblical examples.

Men need to be strong. They are called to protect and lead. Yet, this book is not solely about leadership. It is not about doing it 'my way'. It is not about being autonomous. It is not about denying the unique role God has given to women.

References to Lloyd-Jones and MacArthur marks this book distinctive and re-assuring in contrast with 'Finishing Strong'. Definitely a huge theological improvement, and one that I found a blessing to Christian men.

Hopefully you may already know that biblical manhood is about guts, and not the glory.

'Male headship is about as popular in our day as the military was with the flower children. But unpopular as it may be, it is absolutely essential.' pg 123

This book is one of the most down to earth reflections on Psalms and how they deal with our lives as men. Steve Farrar
is one of the best writers of Christian literature today because of his approach to the scriptures and how they relate to men. I have read several of his books and each and every one is as enlightening as the first. Thank you Steve!

We attended the Fall couples retreat at the Hume Lake Christian Camp in Sequoia Nat'l Park last month. Steve Farrar was our speaker. We were not familiar with Steve's work. Steve announced his weekend topic as simply Psalms 23 ... line by line ... for three days. First note to self ... this could get tedious.

A wonderful surprise ... it was dynamite! Steve grabs your attention with a treble hook. These rote verses came alive, brilliantly decrypted and positioned in the relatable context. The 6 verses, in Steve's macro/microscopic delivery brought Psalms 23 into the 21st century ... all brand spankin' new.

We wanted more. I've now read "Gettin' There". Each chapter is a WOW of cogitative discovery. There's so much more to Psalms than I had been equipped to absorb before reading "Gettin' There".

Steve's a big man, an impossing orator, a critical thinker of Gospel origins and here and now evangelistic thought. I was able to see his style and delivery in every word of "Gettin' There". Picture a large, animated, humble, X-ray eyed Puritan vanguard transported to 2005 to share the continuity of Biblical insight.

Read this book!

Though this book covers many topics and Psalms, chapters 9 and 10 (tape 4 in audio) are an incredible fresh look at Psalm 23. Some history and descriptive context explain phrases that are well known, but easily glossed over. Though he is a popular men's author, this section is applicable to everyone - as often as that passage is quoted, it's nice to understand more fully the love and compassion the shepherd has for us and our need for him.

Mark Gold is a bright doctor indeed and this book is a comprehensive source of modern psychiatric information for depression and other mental illnesses. However, treatment resistant depression is a serious problem and that fact is that many people simply do not get better from medication, no matter how many strategies they try. Medication has a tendency to stop working and only now are new therapies being invented including transcranial magnetic stimulation, and recently, vagus nerve stimulation. Gold says that "only the rare person will fail to get better." Fact is, medication is usually not the answer for complete relief in of itself and should be combined with some type of psycotherapy for maximum effectivness.

I found this book to be very helpful. Mark Gold has been a pioneer in this field. He has also wriiten extensively about the abuse of cocaine.

I would highly recommend his books to anyone thirsting for knowledge in these areas.

I recieved the tests described in the book. These tests pinpointed the type of depression and the proper anti-depressant.I had relief after taking the first two capsules and have been fine since. (1986-Fair Oaks Hospital,Summit N.J.) Thank you Dr.Gold.

In 1986, the psychiatrists in Canada insisted on trying a series of antidepressants on me, even though I told them that I could not tolerate them. I could not tell them exactly what was going on, but suffice to say that the things that you hear about anti-depressants instigating suicide, violence, and/or homicide are true. The doctors then wanted to hospitalize me and give me Halperidol to suppress the effects of the antidepressants! If I had let them do this, I am sure that I would never have recovered to a stable state.

In 1987 I came across a newspaper review of an earlier edition of "The Good News About Depression" by Dr. Gold. I read the book, and immediately made arrangements to go to Fair Oaks Hospital. I was tested and interviewed as a clinic outpatient, and within three days, the psychiatrist informed me that persons who exhibit the characteristics which I do (positive on depression indicator tests, intolerance of standard antidepressants) often respond to lithium treatment, even though they do not present bipolar symptoms. None of the MANY doctors with whom I consulted in Canada, including those at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, knew about this important fact. I responded quickly to lithium, and within a month I was able to work, after being "unstabled" to work for a year and one-half. Since then I take lithium prescribed by my family doctor, I have not been to see a psychiatrist since, and I have had no other therapy of any kind for 17 years. You will find lithium listed in the monograph as an "anti-manic agent", but for me it is the opposite, an antidepressant. Who knew? No one except the experts at Fair Oaks in Summit.

Dr. Gold and his associates are The Best, and this book is The Word! If you, or a member of your family, or a friend, has anything that seems to be incipient depression, then get this book. Get your physician to refer you, make an appointment and go right to the Fair Oaks Hostpital. It is your life. They are the real experts, and you will never be sorry. They will give your life back to you, just as they did for me.

The work of Mark Gold and his associates was an eye-opener for me when I was researching (author's book plug alert) the first edition of my book, Dealing with Depression Naturally. It was they who discovered, over 20 years ago, that there is a substantial subgroup of depressives - mostly middle-aged women - who are resistant to therapy because they have a relatively mild or subclinical degree of hypothyroidism that eludes diagnosis unless sensitive, seldom employed tests are used. Thankfully, "the thyroid solution" is finally being recognized by the mainstream. But Gold et al. (and other "biopsychiatrists") are hip to a much, much broader array of established medical/physical illnesses and conditions (literally 100 or so) that also can cause or promote the symptoms of depression, without attracting the attention of the average doctor bent on whipping out the old prescription pad after a cursory physical examination and history, at best.

This book - written with the help of a popular writer to make it an easy read for the average Jane and Joe - will educate you (and your doctor, if s/he is willing) about the range of hidden (if you don't look, they're still "hidden") medical/physical causes that could be causing or contributing to your depression (but not including some of the fringier ones, like brain allergies and Candida) and how to rule them in or out and, in many cases, treat THEM instead of the secondary depresion. With authoritative estimates that up to 50% of depressions are accompanied by physical illnesses that could be playing a causative role - and preventing depressives from recovering fully or at all, even when treated with the latest, greatest drugs (which Gold also discusses in depth, but circa 1995, along with a few natural alternatives and adjuncts) - this kind of knowledge is real power.