Spirituality Books

This book came to me as a gift of Love at a critical time in my life. It was, in the most literal sense, a God Send! Since that time I have purchased and given many copies to loved ones. I still re-read it often. Peter Erbe's words are beautiful, full of love and life changing! Peter, wherever you are I send my love, wish you well and am so grateful for your contribution to the planet! Kara

Regardless of what spriitual path you have chosen to walk, God I Am: From Tragic to Magic will resonate with many truths within. It's a wonderful addition to a Course in Miracles and overall an extremely helpful source. Enjoy.

this man is highly intelligent as well as spiritually aware. This book tells it as it is, so it is one of these precious books that helps clarify yourself, and reveals the Truth of Life if one stays with the text, that is if one meditates the sentences that call for it.

on reading many "spiritual" books over the past 35yrs,this has got most of the answers,it completes the cycle,I felt I was reading what I had patterned together over the many years,but it is the only book to give me the final answers i have been in search of,and now need to only search with-in.Yes,hard to take in all that it is,but it is IT.Thank-you Peter for having the understanding of relating this insight ,with such clarity and simplicity,of examples,I hope many others every-where read this incredible book -judy

Before I read this book, I remembered reading a book titled "The Power of Belief" by Ray Dodd. Ray mentioned in his book about "I AM" and the opposing belief "I Am NOT". It is either I AM or I AM NOT. Which is it? I AM or I AM NOT. I AM NOT is a dream state, or rather, a nightmare.

I remembered writing a poem after that about an imaginary conversation I have with an angel and asking this angel how do I wake up from this nightmare, or what Peter O Erbe mentioned in his book, amnesia. We are all God having a human experience and worst of all, we have amnesia, and we have forgotten who we are and this amnesia is the root of all our problems.

And after reading Ray Dodd's book, I found Peter's book in a new age store, used book section. Was it an accident?. No. I was ready and my consciousness attracted the book as much as the book was attracted to me. Yes, the book chosed me and I chosed the book. When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

GOD I AM is a fantastic book to read and have, especially if your life is not working, is in a mess, and you need to set if right once more. Do not be surprised if harmony returns to your life after reading this book and applying the wisdom in it.

The information from this book comes from a loving and wise consciousness of which we are all a part of, and Peter is the instrument for the information to be uniquely communicated in a unique flavour. There are many books with the similar themes, but you will be drawn to the ones that you resonate.

Personally, I like Peter's style of explanation, although certain sentences i have to reread to understand the messages in its entirety.

I strongly recommend GOD I AM to put your life back in order again.

Love

El Solaris RP
[...]

Read this book!!!

George Foreman's personality, style and charisma make this perhaps my favorite book of all time. Why? Because George gives us a detailed look at his personal journey to finding spirituality and happiness in life and how he has shared that lesson with others in an attempt to improve their lives.

I liked George Foreman before reading this book but afterward, I achieved a higher sense of respect for a selfless man who gave up his boxing career to preach and follow the path to God. He even started the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in 1984 with retirement money that he had "tucked" away during his 8-year retirement from boxing. His goal was not to indoctrinate local kids but to give them a place to come and follow a productive direction.

Though George "un-retired" from boxing several times, he continued as a minister in his own local church and spreading the word of God in many ways. In fact, George illustrates that money, wealth and power do not necessarily create a sense of fulfillment; it's the spirituality that brings joy and contentment. George lays the advice out for his readers, plain and simple:

"I am convinced that God gives us all a chance to know Him. He gives us the opportunity and if we say "yes" to Him, He will choose us. But He won't force Himself on anyone".

"God is merciful and will always give us a new beginning if we are willing to change."

Clearly, this advice comes from a man who was transformed in that locker room in 1976.

I have never been a fan of boxing, but the name George Foreman has become a household name. From boxing to grilling, George tells his story of being born in poverty, to living on top of the world, only to have everything lost and be penniless once again, and back on top. He deals with his issues of hate, and overcoming all his obstacles to be the man who lives Christ. Some of his writings become repetitive through out the book, but it is a good read of how a man's life was change,gone to Hell and back, and now pastors a church and operates a life saving center for youth.
I am glad that I read this book. You will see both sides of George of what he once was, to what he is now.

I'm a boxing fan, which was part of the reason I was interested in this book. But the author's story goes well beyond boxing. He book is filled with lessons to be learned from a man who was a most lost soul and a downright mean-spirited person. He found God, and his life was changed forever. But the story doesn't end there. Once he had a relationship with God, he still had to pick himself up time and time again. And it was his relationship with the Lord and his Faith that saved him.

The way he interjects his boxing career into the story makes this an amazing read. It's a biography filled with spirituality. And you'll learn a lot about yourself as well as George Foreman after reading it.

Fight The Good FightForeman writes a great book about his life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone. I loved the Big Bass analogy for success. A lake was stocked with many Bass at the same time. Several months later some of them were much bigger than the others. Foreman's explanation as relates to success also. The bigger ones were more hungry. Wow! What an analogy.

What a thoroughly uplifting and inspiring book.
This book has been a pure delight to read.
George provides spiritual solutions to lifes challenges via
his real life experiences.

I read this book once . These are truly the words of the god . A normal human being cannot conceive or write such words . It is humbling , i could
only hold it with utmost reverence also feel quite blessed to know the way the gods creation works as said by him .Definitely improves the out look of the world . After spending decades trying to rationally explain away every thing that happens in the world , this book lead me back to faith and devotion .

Attempting to "rate" a book such as this is a very humbling task since it is truly beyond such Earthbound concepts as "good" or "bad'.This book is Meher Baba's definative work, the words of an Enlightened Master.If you're ready to move on from the plethora of "Spirituality Lite" books in the New Age section of your favorite book store, this is the one book that you need to read. A truly profound and extremely challenging work
by a true Avatar

WOW!!! If there is one spiritual book that you should read, it is this one. It explains everything that you ever wanted to know - period. It anwered all my questions regarding life and its purpose. In order to fully leverage the content, Discources should be read first.

I was exposed to this book first by Avisa during medical school 1998. The book has changed my life. It helped me to cope with life problem much easier. It makes you understand life better, what is death and what happens to us when we die? Without purpose, life is meaningless. you become less materialistic. You can cope better with death of the loved one. I think all of us should read this book. I refer to it as a solution to problems. The book will be bring meaning to all the religion, Koran, Bible and Jew. The more time you read the book the more you get out of it, they say one must read it at least five times. I love this book, there is lots of love. God bless God in man.

this book explains "the meaning of life" in a way that is the best raodmap I have ever seen before. The book is complex, not so easy to read but is so full of amazing info that it is worth the investment of time and effort it takes to go thru it. Nothing else you will ever read even comes close to explaining the mystery of life and the universe////

I interviewed Dr. Gettis for an article I wrote on his book, which is a compilation of short stories, each with its own message. His book taught me how it's so important to slow down and be grateful for everything around you, even if it's something as small as your car starting or waking up healthy and without a headache.

Before, I used to rush through tasks like washing dishes or pumping gas, thinking of them as moments that were mundane and not part of my "real" life. But reading the book taught me to appreciate every moment, even if I'm doing something simple or "boring." I love this quote he gave me: "Every day, there are a million things that go right."

I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels bored or unsatisfied in life, or is just stuck in a rut.

By Sofia Steryo-Bartmus, Author, "Paws of Wisdom"- Valuable Lessons We
Can Learn From Our Pets

Stories are the best way to make a point and Dr. Gettis does that so well. Everyone will find a story which they can relate to. Therefore, through a collection of easy and simple advice you can use, this book will take you to the next level of happiness regardless of where you are now. Each story will add value to your life through perspectives you may not have thought about before. It is a book you can read over and over. Read a chapter or two at a time as a daily devotion and then apply what you learned.

We all have challenges in life, but it is how we perceive them that will make us happy or unhappy. There are too many illustrations to mention here, but I liked the question asked in one of the chapters: How can I be happier? And the answer? Consider the Chinese Parable: If you want
happiness for a year, inherit a fortune, if you want happiness for a lifetime, help others...What a great advice!

Not only did I enjoy the book very much, I also learned a lot about myself. I recommend it to everyone, young and old, happy or unhappy. There is no one who would not benefit from at least one new idea for more happiness in this Upside down World!

I expected to enjoy this book, however I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Following the example of Alan Gettis' previous book, "Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up," one of the truly worthwhile things about "The Happiness Solution," is that by using fairly short stories to illustrate and teach the lessons that are important in achieving "genuine happiness," the author is able to cover a wide range of happiness related subjects and philosophies in these 200-odd pages. And he does it very well.

The stories are cleverly told. In a Zen-like way, the messages are often subtle, worthy of reflection and thought, softly guiding the reader into a deeper understanding of the meaning of real happiness. These stories are profound without seeming to be so.

I grew up in Africa, where the history and the fabric of each tribe was passed down from generation to generation, verbally, through stories. I remember when first hearing some of the stories, they just seemed to be great human stories. Little did I know that they were teaching those who heard them and retold them how to live life. Alan Gettis' stories have the same feel.

From teenagers to baby boomers, in this upside down world, "The Happiness Solution" offers entertainment coupled with gently delivered, easily absorbed wisdom. I would like to see it as required reading in schools and colleges. It is that meaningful!

I took my time reading The Happiness Solution. Savored it like a fine meal. It is one of those books that you can open at any page and find something useful enough to ponder or just stop complaining and get on with your day. I recommend it for anyone's library just for the stories alone.

--Doug Setter, Bachelor of Human Ecology,
Author of One Less Victim and Stomach Flattening

When I was writing my first book, The Healing Power of Humor, my editor would insist I include one or more stories to illustrate every point I was making. Yet, no matter how many stories I would send him, he always wanted more. I was really annoyed with him but after the book was published, I understood how much more powerful the book is because of those stories.

Stories are memorable. Stories are moving. Stories speak to the heart.

Readers of The Happiness Solution will have no trouble finding delightful and insightful stories here, stories that not only entertain but educate. Stories that give the reader hope, and hopefully lead to happiness.

If it is happiness you are seeking (and who isn't?) this insightful book can help you be one step closer to it. Read this book. You will be happy you did.

I have read many books on self-help and I find this book to be one of the best. Reading and allowing the message to filter through is an enlightening and eye-opening experience. Thank you Aretta and Ian for giving us the message to love and to be patient with the most difficult and simplest of challenges in everyday life.

The principles in Heart of the Soul are timeless and are for everyone who wishes to open their heart to express them. I felt uplifted and filled with joy while reading this book. It is not a preachy book, but states universal truths in a very warm, readable manner. I plan to place these principles in my life starting right now.

This is the type of book one reads and rereads, finding something new in each fresh encounter. Since it's values are eternal, it can never be outgrown because life is constantly providing fresh materials for us to practice the principles on. I highly recommend this wonderful book. It is a gift to our hearts from the hearts of the authors.

Aretta and Ian showed unusual courage through this book. While it is simple, it is also simply profound. Few of us dare share our experiences with the world. Few of us expose our vulnerability for everyone to see. They have. Through "Heart of The Soul," they give, to everyone who reads it and is willing and wanting to change their lives, down to earth everyday examples of spirituality in daily life. Reading this opened my heart to the simplicity and meaningfulness of the seemingly mundaneness of life. I congratulate them for their courage to put on paper the wisdom and insight that flowed through them from the Inspiration of Divine Spirit! Aretta is truly keeper of the Sacred Heart.

I had the pleasure of knowing Aretta during the time in her personal life when things weren't working out well. I witnessed how she transformed herself away from the unhappy and unsatisfying life she was in to a free spirited soul who had finally found Love. As the book states, there are many paths we can choose to follow and she choose the better one. Thank you Aretta for sharing some of your wisdom with me. I will cherish you forever.

Dear Aretta: I met you at a bookstore presentation and would like to say Thank You for the book "Heart of the Soul". It is kept right next to my chair in the living room. The biblical verses and quotes are really meaningful in the book. I also enjoyed your life and other people experiences. There are so many people that could use this book. My way of thinking is now changed for the better! This book has me changing my negative way of feeling about myself. I will use this book many times to develop a positive way of thinking. Thank you Aretta!

I truely believe in the teaching of this book. I believe that everyone alive should read it. Rob Brendle's teachings about the "practice of proactive waiting" are not only insightful, they are practical and hold true to everyday life. Using the example David (from the Bible) and other everyday real-life examples, Brendle brings to light the struggle of figureing out your next step. It doesn't matter whether you know what you are destined to do, or you are still trying to figure that out, Brendle teaches that it is what you do while you wait that helps you become the man or woman you are destined to be.

I recommend this book to everyone. As a twenty-something who is still trying to figure out her calling is, I found this book helpful is teaching me to enjoy the now, and how to work towards what it is that God has planned for me. However, no matter what your age or place in life, this book has something to help you with your next step.

What do you do after the Lord has called you to be his special worker? Go off half cocked? Forget the whole thing? Become so bemused you just stand there, achieving nothing? The aim of In The Meantime is to help you realize God has truly called you, stop pleading with Him to let you know if He has, and start listening to Him, doing what He wants right now thus heading into your particular calling.

Using a new and interesting spotlight, pastor and author Rob Brendle illustrates his ideas with chapters from the life of David, shepherd, king, and psalmist. Themes discussed include: the wrong way to go about this adventure; accepting and learning from those who are in authority over you; do the job now at hand, don't wait for the `right' position; consent to the lessons of humility, and losing your life to find it; practice fleeing from sin; accept the costs of grace; make Bible reading, prayer, and patience an integral part of your life. Brendle quotes extensively from his own ministry and life, illustrates comprehensively with relevant Scripture, and cites many sources, Star Wars to the U.S. Hockey team. The closing section of notes, listing the references for Scripture used in this book, provides research material and is a fine devotional aid.

An associate pastor ministering to those in their twenties and thirties, Rob Brendle's vocabulary is very contemporary. With a light air, and a heart for the Lord, Brendle casts the age-old Christian themes in a modern light. Much of In The Meantime provokes new thought on Christian ideas, for instance: "Jesus massacred the devil that day in the wilderness, and just to show it could be done, he did it in the weakest human condition imaginable." (p. 178). Readers of all ages, teens to retirees like me, who are truly seeking to follow their Lord, will find this book valuable and interesting. - Donna Eggett, Christian Book Previews.com

Rob Brendle uses some imaginative and insightful stories to clearly demonstrate what we all feel when spoken to by God, how to deal with calling he gives us, and how to confidently and proactively wait for God's plan, God's journey for us, to unravel. Thank you Rob, but more so thank you God, for having inspired this man to put pen to paper in order to give us greater understanding of your love and plans for our lives.

Daniel and Dayna Webb, UK

So, you have looked at your life and asked yourself "What is the big picture" or you are saying "I know the big picture so beam me up Scotty". But, nothing is happening. You are frustrated and ready to tear your hair out. Relax, you are in your prime time with God.

This book has the humor, and the guts, to show you how to discern God's heart for your life and how to relax and work into your calling with God.

Rob utilizes personal experience, biblical stories, and theology to weave an intricate story about his life, which by the way, probably looks a lot like your life to.

I suggest reading the book, then buying a dozen for your friends.

This is the first book of hopefully many from this young Associate Pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Co. The writer blends the narrative of the life of King David with his personal life experiences, resulting in a guide on how to live out one's specific calling. Rob fills the book with his energy, wit, wisdom, and biblical insight, along with his personal relationship with his Lord and Creator.

While the book's main focus is how to live out God's personal and specific calling, the principles set forth are invaluable for those navigating the general calling of God. Regardless of the reader's life circumstances, the principles in this book will help them to live life well.

It is my sincere hope that this is the first of many writings from this gifted and talented young man, and look forward to the next book.

This book is a major and accurate indictment of American Academia in the department of religion. That indictment is based on sound research, careful argumentation and theory, and is irrefutable. What shocks one is that some of the "research" by so-called "scholars" that is refuted is funded by American tax payer funds and originates in universities of high repute in other areas of research. More than how Hinduism is distorted by these Academics, Americans need to be concerned about the fact that such research originates from universities otherwise well reputed and a considerable amount of it is funded directly or indirectly by American tax payer money that could be well spent on legitimate, honest and valid research. The abuse of the First Amendment freedoms and the tenure system and cliques in academia that fosters the environment exposed by this carefully conducted research is one that should concern one and all if America is to improve its educational system. A must read for any one concerned about the quality of American liberal education and not just for those interested in religious studies.

Invading the Sacred arrives at a very important time. India remains in the grips of an upswing in economic and political fortunes, and this has breeded a certain triumphalism amongst our Hindu community, especially the diaspora. It is easy to believe all the headlines, and forget in this context the numerous issues that remain for Indians to confront, both internally--the threat from poverty, a widening income gap, corruption, and political incompetence--and externally--the threat from various other nations, corporations, and nonbusiness organizations determined to use or exploit India to their own ends. This book has done a wonderful job of exploring and highlighting one of these issues.

Invading the Sacred tells the story of how American scholars of Hinduism have long been free to write whatever they wish about the religion, with minimal input or feedback from practitioners, until very recently, when the Hindu community began to take notice of what was being written. This book details the sexualizing, trivializing, and even dehumanizing extremes to which Hinduism studies has occasionally gone in describing its "object", and it also details the multivarious Hindu response to these extreme mischaracterizations. It spends most of its time discussing the works of religion professors like Paul Courtright, Jeffrey Kripal, Sarah Caldwell, and above all, Wendy Donniger, who in the 80s and 90s became very influential in their fields while (and perhaps by?) hawking theoroes of Hinduism that emphasized to ridiculous extents (and with fleeting evidence) sexual and fringe practices within the tradition, based largely on discredited Freudian motifs. It also discusses how these motifs were discovered and publicized to the Hindu community worldwide by a variety of diaspora Indians, most notably Rajiv Malhotra, through the medium of the internet, and how this mobilized Hindus to more closely scrutinize the ways in which they were being depicted and respond with interventions ranging from scholarly reviews to diatribes to petitions and townhall meetings.

To a practitioner of Hinduism, seeing our practices described in such stark, sordid, and distorted language as used by religion professors is sure to evoke a powerful emotional reaction, but the book wisely does its best to avoid this and focuses its critique on fact and method. Indeed, it succeeds best where it sticks purely to cataloguing deficiencies. One hopes that our community takes heed and learns how to argue its positions more objectively the next time its interests are threatened.

The book's greatest simultaneous weaknesses and strength lie in its ability to put this story in the historical context of "othering" the Native Americans before taking their land and killing them. The end comparison is both histrionic and thought-provoking. The thesis that Hindus are being targeted for dispossession, eviction, recolonization and even extermination through an initial "softening" by academic distortion, in much the same manner as the Native Americans before them, is certainly interesting. Indeed, the book draws attention to the similarities in the ways that Native Americans were depicted by those who ultimately colonized them, and the ways in which Hindus are being depicted now. The case is, unfortunately, overstated; the scholars who misrepresent Hinduism hardly seem, even in all the episodes described in this book, to be deliberately trying to hurt Hinduism or Hindu sentiments. The damage they do comes across as the consequence of callousness and contempt rather than an active expansionist or missionary agenda, despite the book's strongest efforts to paint it otherwise. And though this is in fairness not its purpose, the book does not do justice to the criticism elaborated within it that some fault for the current state of affairs certainly lies with Hindus ourselves. We have not treated our religion with importance, and hence our story has been written by others. These others, not connected to our tradition, are free to deduce whatever they wish, and ultimately invent it, because of the lack of voices from within the tradition to critique and counterbalance them, and demand--assertively--the proof for their varied and banal interpretations.

In spite of this, the similarities in language and tone between how the Native Americans were described before and during their uprootment and genocide and how we are being described today are striking and, in places, more than a little frightening. It is painful, vexing, and eye opening to realize that scholars of religion and anthropologists actually believe--and are trying to get others to not just believe, but accept as fact--that our cultural respect for the mother is due to an underlying desire (on the part of every man, apparently) to have sex with her, or that our women do not bond with their children, or that we look at everything in life through phallus colored (or shaped!) glasses. This may not all be part of a calculated plot against Hinduism, but it is not hard to see (and the book provides a few warning examples) how this could be used by those who wish Hinduism ill, however the original authors may have intended their statements. The book is an exhortation to us to act, at a minimum by speaking up, and in this it is an extremely valuable resource. It is a must for Hindus who, like I used to be, ask, "who cares what others think?", for it shows how important such opinions--and opinion-making--can be in an open society and climate.

This book also documents yet another example of how the internet can decentralize a debate or at least level a playing field. It has been used very effectively by Rajiv Malhotra, Sankrant Sanu, and others to get exposure for their ideas when a more traditional article in an academic journal or book may have been impossible to produce. One lesson from this ongoing debate is thus certainly that alternative media channels can allow for very fertile discussions when the official channels are closed to thoughtful outsiders. The importance of this, demonstrated previously to the Indian community by George Allen's campaign going down in flames post-"macaca", is demonstrated here again.

Overall, a very thought-provoking and exciting read. A must for every Hindu who heard about or was involved in the various Hinduism-studies controversies and seeks to understand them better at a temporal and emotional remove. We should look forward to many more books on this controversy and others, and more books besides by these excellent authors. Bravo!

This is a difficult book for several reasons: 1. a large part of the discussion is fairly technical. 2. The subject matter is quite revolting for most practicing Hindus. 3. The book is quite large, over 450 big size pages, with a lot of text.

However, if you can manage to go through it, the effort would be worth the reward. The prose is crisp, fairly non-emotional, and intellectually engaging. The book is a compilation of essays by different persons, so you get a decent variety in terms of writing styles as well.

The book is divided into four main sections. Section 1 deals with the bias in one wing of American Academy of Religions (AAR). Section 2 sets out the Hindu American response to the bias, once the bias was exposed. Section 3 details out the vicious fight that followed. Section 4 provides a snapshot of how the media dealt with the issue. Each section has several chapters, a total of 29 chapters in all. Four appendices are given, followed by copious notes containing references and interesting sidelights.

The book has been typeset and bound in India. There are some proofing errors, and other editing goof-ups. For instance, often you can't figure out who has contributed a particular essay (Chapter 11, 12, for instance). Similarly, it is not clear as to what do the notes on pages 469-472 relate to. This is to be expected as Indian publishing is in its infancy, and newer publishing houses do not have access to high quality editorial or proofing services.

However, the quality of the discussion is of a very high standard, quite unlike what we found in Eminent Historians by Sh. Arun Shourie, which was also full of repetitions. The arguments are cogent, and mostly have been presented very well. There is some repetition here also, but not too much. Both books, incidentally, deal with essentially the same issue: systematic destruction of a community's cultural or spiritual heritage by a section of intellectuals, and the community's agonized response to it. The book appears to be doing fairly well, considering its relatively difficult subject, and may very well mark a turning of the tide.

An interesting feature of the book is the use of comic sheets, which serve to wrap up the broad arguments, and dramatize their implications for one's everyday life. On the one hand, this distracts from the seriousness of the book. On the other hand, it also adds interest and life to a relatively dry book.

The book is difficult to put down (though it is fairly difficult to hold it up as well!). It also has the potential to ruin your sleep, and your morning puja, with the kind of images that are discussed in the book. Be warned: if you are young or have newly discovered or rediscovered Hindu heritage, you may get emotionally scarred by some of the vivid and vicious portrayal of Hindu icons by AAR scholars.

It would be clear to anyone that in today's world cultural confidence matters as much as economic and military power. Destruction of one's cultural heritage could allow a country to remain theoretically independent, but intellectually dependent and emotionally crippled. Therefore, mutual respect for other's cultures, and an overall committment to intellectual integrity should be an essential feature of the academicians.

Unfortunately, some devitants among the modern intelligentsia band together like intellectual cartels. Their professional life depends on digging up (or rigging up) ever more interesting tidbits in order to stay in business. For decades, such academicians have fed off dead cultures such as the Maya, Aztec and the Egyptians, with no one to shoo them away. However, when they attack a living culture such as India or China, a robust response is natural.

This response has been late, but going by this book, it seems to be adequate and highly sophisticated, as well as effective. The book also shows that such mercenaries have no staying power - they like to hunt in secrecy and prey on the weak and the undefended. Once challenged, they run away quickly, though they may come back to attack again as a pack. However, all you need to do is to hold your ground and shout, and they will melt away again. One does wish, though that such academicians will apply their considerable talents to something constructive and productive, instead of whiling away their lives pursuing intellectual frivolities.

Buy this book if you want some very interesting insights into the ongoing cultural wars. Keep your blood-pressure pills handy, though.

Indians who criticize Western scholars in regard to their dubious interpretations of Hinduism and Indian history are generally denounced as Hindu fundamentalists, fascists and right wingers in order to detract from issue of Western racism. I am in fact a left-leaning Indian and no Hindu fundamentalist, see my 1999 book on the synthesis of Science and Mysticism, in which I attack the BJP. On seeing this book I was amazed that long-discredited Freudian superstitions (see below) are allowed to pass as scholarship in academia - this book does not challenge the basis of Psychoanalysis, rather an Appendix essay by an American psychoanalyst is given which questions the validity of such Eurocentric Freudian reductionism to the Indian context and mysticism. I will give scientific arguments undermining Freud below. See the website www.invading the sacred.com for more info. Note also that Jeff Kripal who mistranslated Bengali words like 'lap, head and touching softly' as 'genitals, phallus and sodomy' in his attempt to portray Ramakrishna as a homosexual pedophile is now linked to the New Age Esalen Institute!
Adam Curtis showed in his BBC Series Century of the Self that Freud's dubious ideas caught on in the USA through the influence of his nephew Edward Bernays due to Freud's titillating emphasis on SEX. Similarly we find that Wendy Doniger's works sell because she focuses on sex, sex and nothing but the sex, writing racy books with the sex element hyped up in spite of their inauthenticity and her struggling with first year Sanskrit! I was amused by de Nicolas' example of how she used a Hebrew translation for a Vedic word making 'the world of possibilities' into 'the one-footed goat'!
I had noticed in 1991 that the 6th East-West Philosophy Congress book "Culture and Modernity" edited by Advaita scholar Eliot Deutsch gave pride of first place to Eliminative Materialist Richard Rorty who believes that Consciousness does not really exist! Rorty asserted that "ascetic priests" like Heidegger and brahmins sublimate their sex drives and pretend to 'penetrate the veil of appearances' so as to claim to be more manly than the warriors! Thus first position in a East-West philosophy book was given to an American who not only denies the reality of Consciousness (the (primary reality of Advaita Vedanta and much Buddhism) but uses the thoroughly discredited Freudian sex-mythology to supposedly undermine the claims of mystics to transcend mundane reality! Were Hildegard, Mechthilde and Teresa trying to be more manly! I also noticed in 2002 that Thomas Blom Hansen in his "The Saffron Wave" chastised Hindu Nationalists for reworking German Romanticist ideas (with no mention of the heavy Indian philosophical influence behind Romaticism founded by the Sanskritist Schlegels) whilst himself referring to the likes of Freud and Lacan (whose pretensions to Einstein-like genius were exposed in "Fashionable Nonsense") as if these European thinkers were 'scientific'.
Coming from a Science background and having identified the physical correlate of the Divine Light (cit, Atman, Buddha Nature, Godhead)with overwhelming empirical evidence for this and showing how Science and the core Indian transcendental mystical picture are integrated, I basically treated such ludicrous Freudian myths with the contempt they deserve. Indeed, I am currently writing a comprehensive section entitled "The Failings of Western Philosophies, Psychologies and Science in regard to Mysticism and Consciousness" including a subsection "Sigmund Freud's Sexual Superstitions and the Regression to the Womb Myth". In fact my overall analyses show by undermining every possible form of western ontology that the only viable ontology is one based on distinctionless Pure Consciousness as the Ground from which physical phenomena manifest as in Tantric Kashmir Saivism - i.e. a logical argument by elimination of alternatives rather than "experience it in mystical union".
I was just reading this week Thompson and Madigan (2005) Memory (a survey of recent research)which asserted that there is no scientific evidence supporting Freud's key notion of unconscious Repression of memories. David Bakan's 1958 "Freud and the Jewish Mystical Tradition" showed that Freud secularised Kabbala omitting supernatural elements in his "psychoanalysis". In 1973 Morton Schatzman in his 'Soul Murder' showed that Schreber's father had disciplinary devices and real child abuse had been misinterpreted by Freud as unconscious fantasy based on the nonsensical Oedipus Complex idea! In the 1980s Masson's "Assault on the Truth" and Peck's "The People of the Lie" continued to undermine the Freud Cult.
Freud urged Jung never to abandon the sexual theory and even "we must make a dogma" of it. Jung stated that F's obsession with the primal incest archetype led to dogmatic rigidity. Medical doctor and psychiatrist Anthony Stevens rubbishes Freudian interpretations of dreams of predatory animals as 'fear of castration' when REM dream research shows that such instinctual dreams of being chased prepare all young mammals for life's dangers. F was also wrong to locate all mental problem origins in infancy as Stevens shows adolescence and attaining 'manhood' etc. are more critical than early childhood. Schwarz and Begley point out that Foot Fetishism is explained by the brain maps of feet being adjacent to maps of genitals with some overlap, contrary to F's ideas about sexual deviations. Griffin and Tyrrell whose work is followed by the UK NHS rubbish Freudian talk therapy as it usurps normal healing processes based on sleep etc.
Finally, in regard to F's primary notion of the Libido, such a notion of a "sexual energy" is just nonsense scientifically as opposed to Jung's notion of Libido as a generalized psychical energy. Indeed, Jordens essay on Libido and the Prana/Atman identity in Harold Coward's "Jung and Eastern Thought" provides one of the many pieces of evidence supporting my identification of the Atman/Prana with the underlying activating energy of the brainwaves of the brainstem Reticular Activating System. This ties in with Jung's ideas of generalised energy as the RAS is simply that, the energy underlying all gross brain activity and the brainstem Reticular Formation is the only structure essential for consciousness. Thus whilst undermining more serious philosophical ideas, my RAS brainwave/Light of Pure Consciousness correlation also undermines the nonsensical Freudian myth of an underlying Sexual libido!
Sutapas Bhattacharya

This book is really an eye opening for many Hindus. Most of the Hindus like myself think that American Academic Scholars loves Hinduism and have a great opinion about the great Hindu Religion and Culture. But after reading this, it was shocking to see how American Academic is so biased and professors who are either anti hindus or non-practicing hindus write and teach about Hinduism.

Hindus should read this, wake up and make sure that correct Hinduism is taught in American Schools.

As to why the literature we know today as the Holy Bible came to be assembled as it was, one can only speculate. Compiled from jewish texts and scrolls, a series of main books emerged as the finished work. In its grand history, it has only been recently that other writing and chronicles of central characters were discovered. For whatever reason,they were deemed APOCRYPHA (related to but not included in the main text). When the author first brought me the "Lost Stories...", I admittedly had to work through a bit of personal prejudice. Down through the years many self proclaimed Apostles have had religions to themselves founded on their own unique publications, Joseph Smith and Mary Baker Eddy to name examples and I quite frankly, thought it a little pretentious.

I'm happy to say it falls nowhere in that category. It exists as an abridged compilation most notably of writings by Enoch and a few letters of the Imperical government of Rome in power at the time of Jesus' life on Earth. It struck me that current anti-semitic prejudices of today might well be founded specifically on the myopic views expressed in the letters to Pilate from Tibeius-Caesar. As much as it overshadows Gethsemane, these writings may well be an accurate translation of Roman views. And do I really need to know how suicidal Adam was in dealing with his exile?? The first chapter alone for whatever reason is a sloggy soap-opera of a read, but the same can be said at many points in the Old Testament.

The question of translation accuracy is also a valid concern especially in the wake of Babel. Have past scribes given us a clear picture of God's message in ANY available texts?? That issue is for the heart alone to judge and with no concrete guarantees, I rated the book as I did. I don't know whether I would've used the insights of Gene Scott who has always impressed me more as an old Texas Carnival Barker than a man of biblical letters, but with the Swaggarts and the Hargises and the Bakkers muddying up the waters I suppose he's none the worse for wear and even in the face of re-printing known material as opposed to many other apocryphal sources that hold historically conflicting views, "Lost Stories..." boils down to a good snack for an open mind.

Someone has finally taken the time to find the "Lost Stories" behind the stories of the Bible.

It is obvious that the author has spent countless hours researching, and had the good sense not to clutter up his pages with "Be-Gats" and the double-talk of an ancient language. His tales are in plain English.

A Job Well Done Kent Smith!

George K.

Lost Stories For All Ages is a charming book. It consists of 3 interlinked stories discovered in an ancient manuscript in 1768.
The first begins at the time when God began to create and when he created Adam and then Eve from one of his ribs. They live a charmed life at first, enjoying all the delights of the Garden until their first encounter with evil in the form of Satan. This is what leads to their expulsion. Following this they must endure living in a cave as well as all sorts of temptations and tricks played on them by Satan. But God makes a promise to them . . .

The story unravels very cleverly and leads into Fire and Blade, a story about Nimrod, the first to dare rebel against God after the flood, and Abram. The story starts just after the flood and tells of how Nimrod became a great warrior and fought his way to becoming King. He builds a kingdom Shinar, and a Palace. His power became so great that his name spread over the entire world and the population began to speak in one language.

This is shortly followed by an example of the quote, "Men are not evil in themselves, it is what they do that is evil . . ."

Abram is born soon after this and his birth heralds a spectacular omen in the night sky witnessed by Nimrod's sages, who clearly understand it's meaning but attempt to keep the king from finding out. But self preservation prevails and they all go to the King to give him the news so that they cannot be accused of hiding the truth if he ever finds out.

Upon hearing what the Omen signifies he summons the child's father, Terah, and offers him great riches in exchange for his son's life so that he may never pose a threat to Nimrod. . . You'll have to read the book to find out what happens next.

As well as being an excellent storyteller, W.Kent Smith paints an enlightening picture of times then with some powerfully ivocative passages.

God's promise is carried through to the final story, Trial by Fury, which reveals the tribulations of Pontius Pilate in a place called Canaan, the ancient name for Israel.

Pilate receives a letter from Herod in which he begins by explaining that all is not well with him since the passing of Jesus, and why he believes that it is God who is punishing him for his evil deeds. His family are sick as he is himself with dropsy and
he asks Pilate to pray for him and encourages him to praise Jesus too.

Following this the details of the crucifiction come to light during Pilate's trial and W. Kent Smith will keep you turning the pages right to the epilogue, as he did me.

Lost Stories is both refreshingly entertaining and enlightening.

Ray Smith [No Relation]

Mr. Smith's book blows apart some misconceptions about mankinds origin and destiny. Some people walk around in life saying to themselves, "Why was I ever born?" Or "Am I living only to die?" These questions have an answer in Mr. Smith's book. What really happened between Genisis 1:1 and 1:2? At one time, was the earth populated with angels? Did a "civil war" in heaven occure that wiped-out the earth at that time? Could it be that mankind is the replacement for those rebelious angels? It is well written; three acts with the same theme - rescue fallen mankind (1) the garden of Eden (2) the story of Abraham (3) the death and resurection of Jesus Christ. Redeeming lost mankind is the greatest drama to ever unfold on this earth.

You may have heard these stories in Sunday School, but you most certainly never heard them the way W.K.Smith tells 'em. His approach is modern, clean and easy to understand. His characters are more human than in most tellings. But detail is his ultimate forte. Smith has certainly done his research - as he has embellished and rounded out the "lost" stories, from Adam and Eve to Abraham to Pontius Pilate, with a rich tapestry of information you'll never hear from you Sunday School Teacher.

A most enlightening read!

This book is Biblically sound and has great applications for daily life whether you are young or old, married or single. It's vital for women to understand how significant they are in God's eyes, and what better way to find that out than to see how He works in the lives of women from Eve to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and beyond to the Biblical account of Paul's interactions with the women of Philippi. Discover how a woman like Tamar could be called righteous! Men also need to understand this book's message. Christian husbands and all men, especially those in church leadership, will gain much by understanding God's multifaceted roles for women.

I lead a women's bible study for 20 women. Lost Women of the Bible is a wonderful study filled with thought provoking ideas and questions for reflection. After every chapter we enjoy vibrant discussions of the study and the women in it. It has given us a new perspective on the role God has set forth for us.

This is an absolutely wonderful encouraging book for anyone. Women, to enhance their christian walk and men to see what the womens walk is & was!!!

Carolyn Custis James' book offers hope to women who don't fit the traditional Christian woman mould (wife and mother and support to husband's ministry). She herself found that marriage and motherhood came very late and consequently she wrestled with her position and value within the church as a single woman; but these are not modern problems, she found many examples in the Bible of women who couldn't fit into those roles and yet had great value.

The author features women from both Old and New Testaments - Eve, Mrs Noah, Sarah, Hagar, Tamar, Hannah, Esther, Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene and the women of Philippi - who have different stories of their contribution to God's plans. These stories also show the failures of the women as well as their successes and some, such as Tamar, are partially rehabilitated through a fresh look at the story. Many of these women struggled against cultural situations that are no longer relevant to our Western society and yet the underlying themes were all valid.

The book is well-written in a light and readable style with good scholarship underlying the historical settings. Each chapter has a study guide at the end so I imagine this book might work well for a women's group. The overall conclusion of so many of these stories is that women don't have to just be meek, mild, pure homemakers but can be strong warriors for God alongside their husbands, if they have them, or on their own. Definitely an encouraging read for any women who want to make a difference for God.

Having been a feminist Evangelical Christian for many years (yes, such creatures do exist!), I've read plenty of books on women and the Bible, women in the Bible, and what the Bible says about women. Having had a long break on this subject, I decided to jump back in with this book.

One of the greatest strengths of this book is the author's look at a variety of women and attempting to flesh out their lives. I appreciate her perspective as someone who truly longed to have her life fit the traditional wife and mother role, yet found herself disappointed and confused when that didn't happen. Although my personal path has been different -- I'm ambivalent on the idea of perhaps someday having a husband and kids (and having worked with kids for a few years I find myself even more convinced that they're great for awhile, but then I'm ready to send them home); this was in fact one of the reasons I became a feminist (I got so frustrated with people telling me that I must LONG to be married and have kids when I did not in fact have this desire, and felt God calling me in other directions, at least for the time being) -- I could appreciate the hard questions she asked herself. Furthermore, I appreciated some of her responses. Throughout history, countless women have ended up living their whole lives without ever becoming a wife or mother. Some longed to but never received that joy; others felt no particular interest or knew they were called in other directions. Many of those women were genuine Christians trying to follow God. Logically, if these two paths were God's only calling for women, why did some never get that chance? And why were many of the women who never did get the chance still considered holy followers of God?

I also enjoyed the women she looked at. Some of the women -- Sarah, Esther, and the two Marys, among others -- are frequently written about or discussed. Others get more scant mention. I think my favorite chapter was about Hagar. I have long loved her, and loved the way that God turned His gaze towards a lowly slave considered just property by her owners. The chapter on Tamar was also good, although a part of me was a bit surprised. I hadn't heard many comments about her, and although at one point in time I had thought she hadn't acted well I eventually came to the conclusion that she was acting in the most righteous way she could see (note that she doesn't pretend to be a prostitute until years of waiting have shown her she has no other option, and she doesn't linger to find a few more customers just in case she didn't get pregnant from Judah; she very deliberately enticed one of two men -- the other being Judah's third son -- that was legally required to provide what she had to get by tricking him). It surprised me to hear that Tamar had such a bad reputation in many Christian circles. Be that as it may, I felt like the author did a good job of drawing out the specific circumstances in her life and pointing out that although her exact methods might no longer be appropriate, her desires and ultimate motives do provide a positive example.

I only had one major criticism of the book (well, two, but the second is merely a matter of personal taste). Much of her fleshing out of the biblical characters came from logical consideration of both the text and of the way that humans usually act. None of her conclusions and guesses were far-fetched. Sometimes, however, she forgot that they were guesses and called them facts. For example, she wrote that "Hannah always felt the enormity of her sacrifice, as any mother would." Or about Mary Magdalene that, "Mary wasn't seeking Jesus.... Mary was a demoniac... [who] wanted Jesus to go away." Or that, "No matter what happened afterward [i.e., after the Crucifixion], Mary never erased those horrifying images from her memory." Now, none of these surmises are false; in fact, I'm guessing they're true. Hannah undoubtedly felt Samuel's loss all her life. As the author points out, demoniacs in the Bible never sought Jesus out, and Mary probably didn't either. And I can't imagine being able to forget seeing one of your dearest friends tortured as Jesus was. None of these are bad assumptions. Assumptions, however, is the correct name for them. Had the author been more careful about this I would have been happier with the book (this is the reason for the 4 stars).

The other detail that I wished were changed was the women she dealt with. I had no problems with the ones she picked; I just wish she would have picked more! (this is probably a good sign about the quality of the book) As I read it, I kept making a list of other women I would like to have her include in "Lost Women of the Bible II". Some of them included: Rebeckah (sp?), Leah, Rachel, Dinah, the two Hebrew midwives, Miriam, Rahab, the murdered concumbine from Judges (along with Lot's daughters, actually; they could have their own chapter), Deborah (how could she have left out DEBORAH???), Abigail, Bathsheba, Priscilla, Tabitha/Dorcas, the woman at the well, and so on. I would even have liked a look at some of the REAL "bad girls" such as Delilah, Jezebel, or Israel's one reigning queen (Athaliah, I think); a look at their lives, their strengths, and how they used those strengths in sinful ways not intended by God (plus a look at the ways they've been used throughout the ages against women, and any positive lessons we can learn from them) would be interesting reading.

In general, I would highly recommend this book (I was spending most of my reading trying to figure out which friend I was going to loan it to first). It gives cause for thoughtful contemplation of women in the Bible, and what it means to be both a woman following her true God-given calling (which may include marriage and children, both good things given as gifts by God, but may not) and a man encouraging and being encouraged by women doing these things.

As a former Thelemic briother and now baptized Lutheran, I have to say that Christianity is a lot more gothic and the all around best religion in the world today. This book is for the baptized or church going Lutheran. What's really great in real terms is that this book is used by Lutheran ministers for adult confirmation, which I am currently attending. Anything you give your church is considered a donation. They ask for none of your income whatsoever. Behold the glory of the crucifix.

Beautiful new cover and color. Inside the new page color(cream or tan) makes the print just jump off the page. Very easy to read.
Everyone should read this book, and find out what Lutherans believe and why.

This is an excellent version of Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, with very good supplemental materials added. This book would be a great resource for Protestants of all denominations, and is required reading for all Lutherans. Essential aspects of Christian doctrine are concisely reviewed with the scriptural basis provided for these beliefs. This book is highly recommended to everyone seeking insights into the foundations of Christian doctrine.

I have been a Christian for quite a few years. And I went through two years of confirmation classes as a teen. But over the last few years as I spent more time in God's Word, I found I had a lot of questions. I asked my pastor, but never got satisfactory answers. I recently joined a Lutheran (LCMS) church and read this book and the Book of Concord. I found both to be very helpful, but in particular, I enjoyed how the Small Catechism answered so many of the questions I had previously been unable to answer. All of the points are backed up with quotations from scripture (NIV translation) which I also liked. All in all, I highly recommend this book. I think it is appropriate for all Christians, not just Lutherans.

This small catechism, though not a deal clencher on its own, certainly played a vital role in my move from the contemporary American evangelical movement to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. If you're looking for solid teaching on the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, The Apostles Creed, the Lord's Supper, baptism, and Confession and Absolution, then the writing in this book will aid you along very nicely. For those who desire a deeper look at the Lutheran Confessions I would recommend purchasing a copy of the Book of Concord, which has a copy of the Small and Large Catechisms. That said, I highly recommend this version of the small catechism as it's nice to have as a resource when questions come up.