F Books

I recently attended the Autism Society of America conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. I had the pleasure of attending workshops presented by the authors, Maureen Morrell and Ann Palmer. This book received the national award from the Autism Society of America for "Literary Work of the Year". This book is a must have!! It will make you laugh and cry while providing you with a wealth of knowledge and information. This book is great for both parents of young children and adult children with autism spectrum disorder.

These two authors have opened up their hearts and shared their lives and their wisdom with us. How heartbreaking and bittersweet are the stories that supplement the practical guidance. You will laugh out loud, you will cry with heartbreak, you will wonder at these two mothers' strengths and you will say "I wish I had thought of that". The personal stories are riveting and intense but the abundant practical advice is invaluable and extremely helpful. The authors have earned my gratitude for sharing generously their unexpected lessons.

This outstanding book (and its authors!) have just been recognized by the Autism Society of America for making a "significant contribution to autism awareness, education, and advocacy in the last 5 years." The authors are two very experienced mothers whose sons (now adults) are on the opposite ends of the autism spectrum, and through this remarkable book they offer guidance, hope, and valuable personal insight to all parents of children with ASD. This is a poignant, intelligent, and honest work that has quickly become a classic in the autism literature. The personal experiences and knowledge that the authors share will benefit parents and professionals alike, and the book is highly recommended for anyone who lives or works with individuals on the autism spectrum.

If you would like a signed copy of this book (signed by both authors), please visit our website.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to know more about autism. An added treat is that it is well written and well thought out. The authors Maureen F. Morrell and Ann Palmer are moms who raised autistic boys at opposite ends of the severity scale, offering sometimes painfully honest accounts of daily life, disappointments and triumphs. I believe this book could be enormously comforting to parents grandparents, friends and teachers of autistic children--the advice and insights are based on experiences spanning babyhood and diagnosis to adulthood and leaving home. What's it like to be told your child has autism? How can you survive day to day? Will you love an autistic child the same way you love their siblings? What happens when autistic kids grow up? For each mom, the answers were slightly different, and yet the same. I found much of what I wanted to know, including one shocking statistic about the march of this affliction--one in 5,000 children in the 1980s to just one in 166 in 2005! The one thing I wish the book had included was a paragraph or two of opinion and analysis. I wanted to know what two moms in the trenches believe is happening to our kids. How scared should we be? Is there promising news on the horizon? Perhaps they felt that analysis is irrelevant in the reality of day-to-day living with autism. However, they do review a couple of dozen additional publications. I recommend this informitive, sad, funny book to anyone, whether they've been personally touched by autism or not.

This is a fabulous book that shares with the reader two different ends of the Autism Spectrum. Ann Palmer and Maureen Morrell have managed to share an incredible range of emotions seamlessly. As a parent of a child with ASD I truly felt I was not alone and that there is survival in raising a child with such a baffling disorder. This is a must read for any parent who is going down the ASD road and needs the honest and raw support these two writers offer. I hope all professionals and support people in the ASD area will recommend this book to those they work with. Thanks Ann and Maureen for opening your hearts and sharing your lives with us all.

This is a very great book. Every day I read a little bite of it. You can be sure you'll learn a new thing in each page. A must read for all species Clinicians, not only Vet Pathology students.
A great book. One of the best I know in this area.

Simply the best veterinary pathology book ever made. It's the bible. There's no other definition for it. Easy to read and high quality images for students and veterinary pathologists.

Hi friends
I receieved my book and start the minute I received it to read through it, it is very nice book, well written and I encourage all veterinary students to buy it.

I recd the book in the best possible coondition and within a week of my purchase..I was mighty impressed.

Very good. A must for any Vet who wants to keep on top of their knowledge of pathology.

My opinion is that the first few chapters of the big Robbins are a must read. There is no way around it. But after that, Companion Robbins will save you a lot of time in medical school pathology. It is too much and too wordy to study this for USMLE.

I think if you only read Robbins companion book you will miss too much for medical school pathology. There simply is not enough time to just sit down and read the entire big Robbins. So, read Companion Robbins, learn all of tables and study the photos and diagrams in big Robbins, and skim through big Robbins for pertinant details in the text and highlighted areas. Read BRS Pathology and take notes in BRS pathology as you go (you can then use BRS pathology to study for tests and to study for USMLE). Then use Robbins Review book to test yourself with the questions and take notes in BRS pathology from this too.

There is no way around it. You must read this book, and review it thoroughly. If you haven't time to read the Papa or Mama Robbins and review with the baby, then just read the baby. You may utilise the Papa or Mama for its pictures otherwise. This is the only way you'll ever come to understanding pathology; I've finally come to realise it. Much easier to grasp the pathophysiology than in the BRS.

I love this pocket edition of Robbins. I use it to look up items when I am studying the week before exams. Everything high yield is in here and the index is great. I travel with this little thing, it lives on my desktop...it's the only book on my desktop. Cross-reference with Big Robbins, especially for photos.

The small Robbins pulled me through my pathology. There is no time to read the big Robbins. I used it to prepare Step1 and i am glad that i use it.

The best part about the "Pocket Robbins" is its concise explanation of just about everything that the "big Robbins" says. I have found that one of the most important decisions I make in medical school is how I focus my time. I can usually read through the pocket robbins in about half the time as the big robbins. I then use the big robbins as reference to clarify any concepts the the pocket robbins may not have explained in enough detail. One of the only real drawbacks to the pocket edition is that there are no images. The pocket edition references the page numbers of the topic in the big robbins so that you can go and look up the corresponding pictures. All in all, I really think this is a great book and if I had to choose between it and the big robbins, I would probably pick the pocket and supplement it with a pathology atlas. Happy studying.

Story takes place near the Pine Ridge Rez in S.D. about the time of the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre. Finally a story not about a sassy white virgin that is captured by a lusty Indian Warrior. Instead Ms. Bittner spins a heart wrenching tale about a young settler named Katie whom endured a childhood of abuse from her father and is later forced into a loveless marriage to a man whom mentally and physically abuses her. Katie is someone today's women can relate too.
The answer to her prayers appears the day, Tohave; a handsome half Lakota half Cheyenne warrior, decides to play an intimidating prank on her husband's wagon finding her hidden in the back. Tohave resides in devastation watching helplessly as the government starves his people, rapes their women, as his pals hang themselves to escape the endless torment.
Tohave takes one look at Katie and knows she is an abused wife, despite the fact he should abhorred the white race, he pities her and seeks to take her to his heart. He finds someone to give him a reason to live and she finds a man who can offer true love.
The story is filled with romance, adventure, and heart breaking scenes especially during the recreation of Wounded Knee. This story is very much an original as it takes many surprising turns of events.

I just loved everything about this book. it is so unique. i was so into the characters (hero and heroine) that i felt what ever emotioned the felt. this is one of the best books i have ever read. i have re-read it countless number of times.
F. Rossane Bittner is just an amazing author.

This is a beautiful and touching love story. You cannot help but to fall in love with Tihave and feel heartache at Katie's plight. My only complaint is that I wish they could have had more time together in the middle of the story and that she had included epilogue about them. Lawless Love is still my favorite but this one, and Sweet Mountain Magic are close runners up.

Gentle readers might need to keep a box of kleenex handy as this is a real tearjerker.
Young and beautiful Katie journeys west with her much older abusive husband.Tohave an Indian brave meets katie and there mutual attraction grows into forbidden love.He comforts Katie as her husband becomes increasingly brutal to her and the two make plans to run away together.But there is much heartache in store before the two lovers can finally be together.This is a wonderful love story which shows the triumph of the human spirit over hardships how and heartache and how love conquers all.Tohave and Katie's love saw no color or race.This is a must buy for lovers of Indian romance.I re-read this book several times each year.My very old copy is falling apart so I will have to buy it again.

Katie age 19 and Tohave age 27, two forbidden lovers that crossed lines to be together!
By a chance meeting Katie and Tohave fall deeply in love. When Tohave first spots the wagon on "private" property he and his friends decide to scare the whites off. Unfortunately when Tohave sees Katie it changes his entire world. Both are awestruck by each other. Obstacles hinder their love as Katie is married to an old, mean, abusive, cruel man who beats and rapes her at every chance, and Tohave is Indian. Although turmoil flows freely around them, Tohave and Katie are determined to be together. They stand firm against others... his friends and even her pregnancy by her husband. Once they consumate their love they decide to run away together. As the time draws near for Tohave and Katie to run away, the hatred between the white and red men crash into their world. Tohave is shot and presumed dead! Katie devastated by believing her love is dead, decides to stay in her loveless marriage. Katie also suffers a tragedy when her husband dies by cutting off his on foot! A colonel name Will convinces Katie to stay in Nebraska and he falls in love with her. Katie doesn't return his feelings. When war breaks out against the white and red men, Tohave is found to be alive! Katie gets word of this and goes to him. When they meet they realize that even through a year of separation their love is still as strong! Finally the star-crossed lovers are happy... together!
This is my favorite book! I've read it so many times and never have become tired of it. I cry each time I read the ending. This book is a keeper!

I knew most companies were listening to someone. This Book mentions who and adds to that body of literature called process improvement. After reading this book I was able to contribute to the on-going process and become a more valuable employee.

Great Book!!! The book is written interestingly and in a very well wording way. The standpoint of the writer integrating naturally into the real life of the reader needs accompanied with a blaze of practical examples which the writer has taken from the real life of his experience. Personally I have done a fascinating use the book to redesign software related process, and I can certainly say that from background in engineering, one can do a tremendously use of this book in any related technical \ business areas and probably more. Recommended!

I must admit that I felt a bit uneasy when I found out that this book, which was recommended to me by a friend, had been written by someone with a PhD. In my experience, books written by PhDs are often very academic, difficult to read, and end up telling me what I already know in a very convoluted way.

This book, however, dares to enter "dangerous academic territory" by, for example, defining "knowledge" and measuring it in different instances of business communication. Even in doing so, its ideas make sense and are logically consistent. It also wraps everything up nicely by proposing a methodology (MetaProi) to put the ideas in the book into practice and showing the results of the use of that methodology.

I think this book might get a "thumbs down" from academic ivory tower dwellers. From me (what do I know?), it gets two thumbs up!

Ned's book is great! I used his nine-step system (MetaProi) to facilitate four Business Process Improvement Teams in a local audio visual supply company. All four teams modeled, redesigned, and developed an implementation plan for at least one business process. Three of the four teams went on to successful implementation of their plans. One dynamo team solved several problems. Other than the kickoff, there were no face-to-face meetings. The widely distributed teams used collaborative technologies for nearly all interactions, resulting in minimal impact to daily operations. Participants were excited about growing with new methodologies and technologies.

Phoenixville, PA

This book will be essential reading for those wishing to develop insight into process improvement methodologies, which span popular business process reengineering and total quality improvement movements, and the use of computer mediated communication (groupware) to support these process improvement efforts. In particular, the marriage of the Metaproi methodology and groupware techniques, presented and illustrated with field experience, will be invaluable for those researching or undertaking process improvement projects.

This is the book you need to work towards financial security. It's never too late to start and David Teitelbaum makes you feel like you really can do it. This book is one of the best financial planning books on the market. The writing is easy to understand and it makes sense. You can't help but feel David Teitelbaum's passion about good financial planning -- for everyone. Get the book and start taking steps towards your healthy financial future. You can do it!

This is an excellent book to have a good understanding of all aspects of your personal finances. David Teitelbaum presents all financial planning issues with an easy-reading style that is both clear and educational. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in having a well-rounded knowledge of personal finances. Every chapter of the book presents a number of useful web addresses on related subjects that are excellent for further reading and a more in-depth understanding of certain issues. It is never too late to get this book. Stop procrastinating with your personal finances!

I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone who wants to learn how to take control of their financial future. The financial truths in this book apply to Generation X and Boomers alike. Mr. Teitelbaum makes the complex seem simple and takes the mystery out of investing. He has written this book for people who are not financial experts, so you can feel confident that his book can and will help you learn how to handle your finances. Mr. Teitelbaum explains the world of personal investing in a smooth, easy-reading style. So, whether you are a beginning investor or somewhat experienced, this book can serve as an invaluable resource. Mr. Teitelbaum champions the get quick slowly approach to investing based in common sense and long-term planning. If you are interested in building wealth but are prone to a get-rich-quick approach, then this book is the tonic you need. Mr. Teitelbaum addresses all of the building blocks to wealth creation including: sensible budeting, ridding yourself of expensive debt, developing a savings plan and developing a solid long-term investment plan. Also, he provides valuable insight into the usual suspects (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance and annuites) and explains how they fit within a broader investment philosophy. Mr. Teitelbaum gives broad coverage to so many areas of personal finance that his book will also serve as a great reference guide. He also, shows you where to find out more information about a particular financial topic. I consider this book a great achievement, and it will undoubtedly help many people. I highly recommend this book. I give it 5 stars!!!

Though this book is aimed at baby boomers, I, who have been collecting Social Security for several years, found the book illuminating and educational. Like most Americans, I grew up disinterested in what I perceived to be too difficult in learning more about savings and investing - both how to do it and why they are both so important. I'd certainly be more comfortable in retirement now had I had this knowledge years ago! In addition, numbers have always baffled me. David Teitelbaum's book provided an easy gateway to learning about financing retirement, getting out of debt, how to start investing, and how the markets work. His writing is warm, friendly, and easy to follow, and you certainly feel that he cares about you as well as what he is writing about. I particularly found the chapter on Family, with its discussions on life insurance, long-term care planning, and wealth transfer, both useful and helpful. Because of what I have learned from his book, I am encouraging my adult children and grandchildren to read it and be more prepared than I was.

The author makes a very good point in this book--that most of us are not taught in school this basic life skill of budgeting and investing our money. He makes another good point that the quality of each person's life in retirement will depend to a great extent to how well he/she has planned and invested, because no longer do most of us work for paternal companies that take care of us. Even the federal government's retirement plans are not what they once were. We're expected to make more and more choices for ourselves, and most of us are oblivious about what we'll have in retirement. We also don't want to think about long-term care, but we can see how important it is as we look around and see our parents needing care and are suddenly surprised to see that Medicare/Medicaid doesn't go far. I, for one, never was exposed to any of the basics, and I admit have no head for it. My eyes glaze over at the mention of dollars and cents. But this book is so easy to follow and so logical that I feel like the author is personally holding me by the hand and starting me out with Step One. There are background chapters about, for example, how Social Security got started; how it used to work; how it works now; and what we can and can't expect it to do for us in retirement. There is an excellent index that enables the reader to search for specific topics. There are easy-to-follow headings on things like What Drives Up the Market, Paying for Long-Term Care, and Buying Mutual Funds At Banks. The author even includes website information, which makes the book all the more useful. In short, this is a basic handbook--not just for baby boomers, but for younger people starting out. I've given two copies to recent college graduates entering the workforce because I don't want them to be as oblivious as I was for so many years. I want to thank the author for opening my eyes before it was too late!

This is a readable presetation of a comprehensive theology for today. Forlines is persusasive and depthy and conversational.

He has a high commitment to biblical truth and to the truthfulness of the Bible. He is baptistic and deeply concerned about living a holy life in deep fellowship with God.

Forlines is a capable, convincing advocate of Reformation Arminianism. Reformation Arminianism is not Wesleyan Arminianism; with Arminius, Forlines advocates the "penal satisfaction view of atonement" wherein Jesus' death was to satisfy the righteous demand for holiness; this is a position not held by traditional Wesleyan Arminians.

Reformation Arminians also reject the view known as "repeat regeneration" which refers to the supposed need to repent and get saved again after the commission of whatever sin. Forlines view might be properly summarized as "saved by grace through faith, kept in salvation by grace through faith," a position which is ultimately rejected by Wesleyan Arminians and Calvinists.

A large portion of the animus against Arminians by Calvinists is aimed at traditional Wesleyan Arminians, and not at Reformation Arminians. Calvinists hardly ever address the lines of arguments brought to the debate by Forlines in this book.

The current trend of Baptists toward Calvinism goes unchecked since the learner only gets treated to the arguments against Wesleyan Arminianism. Forlines' book does much to check this trend.

The book is easy enough to read by non-experts. Certainly people such as J.I. Packer or John Piper who deal with traditional theological systems need to read this to keep from knocking over straw men. Theologically minded people who would be persuaded by Calvinists should also read this book first.

However, the book itself is a good, basic guide for anyone interested in becoming well acquainted with biblical truth and doctrine.

Forlines's extensive conservative treatment of postmodernism and his "total personality" approach to systematic theology make this a worthwhile read for those wanting a conservative evangelical approach to systematic theology. Thus, I would recommend this book to all who want to understand evangelical theology. Forlines writes the book in a conversational manner reminiscent of the late Southern Baptist theologian Dale Moody, complete with illustrative anecdotes. While this might be offputting to a few scholarly readers, it makes the work more engaging and human--even, one might say, postmodern! But what will attract most readers to this book is what Forlines calls "Classical Arminianism"--that is, the Arminianism of Arminius. Forlines is what some are now calling "Reformed Arminian"--i.e., like Arminius, he is much closer to Calvinism in his approach to depravity, grace, the satisfactional nature of atonement, justification, imputation, sanctification, etc. Furthermore, Forlines presents a much more grace-oriented Arminian approach to the doctrines of perseverance and apostasy. Thus he is not semi-Pelagian like so many contemporary Arminians. This is a fascinating read, even for those who are not Arminian. The Arminian theology of this book is overlooked because it is a larger systematic. However, Forlines's treatment of Arminianism is itself well worth the price of the book. I recommend the book without reservation.

The Quest for Truth is Dr. Forlines' reworking of his Systematics (1975). As both works are really systematic theologies, the old title is much better but the work as a whole is a welcome classical Arminian counter-balance to the predominance of Calvinist and Dispensational systematic theologies in modern times. In my view, this is the great value of the book - although Dr. Forlines would likely see his "total personality approach" as equally important.

What I regard as the book's greatest value is in two main areas. The first is in correcting a number of Calvinist misconceptions of what the classical Arminian viewpoint really is, and the second is in generally going on to present the classical Arminian view of things (although, as will be seen below, he does occasionally depart from the classical Arminian view). For instance, in correcting Calvinist misconceptions of the classical Arminain viewpoint, we find Dr. Forlines making a strong defence of (i) the authority of Scripture, (ii) God's foreknowledge of contingent events, (iii) fallen man's inability to come to salvation apart from divine grace, (iv) the priority and necessity of grace for salvation, (v) the view that justification consists of the imputation of Christ's own righteousness to the believer by faith and (vi) the view that sanctification is both distinct from and a necessary result of justification (thereby rejecting the easy-believism views of folks like Charles Stanley and Zane Hodges). The second main value of the book is in a number of Dr. Forlines' attacks on Calvinist errors. For instance, he defends the view that faith and repentance preceding justification in saying that "there can be no divine action based on justification that has not already occurred" and, as a result, that "regeneration cannot precede faith." (p. 262) Similarly, in arguing that election is conditional on faith in Christ, he answers John Piper and shows that Arminianism is compatible with the Sovereignty of God by saying the following: "The question that I am concerned about is not whether some constraint is imposed on God outside His will. I do not believe that is the case either. The question is whether His own holy nature forbids Him to choose anyone for salvation apart from Christ. ... Will not His holy nature forbid Him from performing a redemptive act on a person before the death and righteousness of Christ is imputed to him? I think it will." (p. 263)

There are two main things that I regard as drawbacks to The Quest for Truth, however. The first is the treatment and attention given to "post-modernism". As has been noted in at least one other review, there is a noticeable lack of footnotes when that topic is dealt with, but in my view the portrayal of the current attitude in society is not quite accurate. In short, while I would agree with Dr. Forlines that there is an increase in relativism in the area of beliefs relating to religion, culture and ideals, I would maintain that the areas of "private morality" and so-called "social justice" are better explained without reference to the rather vague concept of post-modernism. With respect to "private morality", it appears to me that the general view in society today is that of libertarianism in that people generally feel they have both a legal and moral right to choose whether or not to have an abortion or to engage in pre-marital sex or homosexual conduct. On the other hand, with respect to issues of "social justice" it appears to me that the various positions of the political left are becoming more and more dominant in society to the extent that positions of relativists, libertarians or conservatives are regarded as evil and a bigger role for government is generally seen as something that is positively good. This, however, is a minor complaint with Dr. Forlines' analysis. In my view, the second negative thing about the book is more serious and comes with Dr. Forlines' use and explanation of his "total personality approach". Although he explains this approach in more detail, I was left with the distinct impression that it places much more emphasis on self-worth and the alleged value of man than Arminius ever dreamed of advocating, and thereby occasionally distorts the classical Arminian view, while also bringing the danger of oversimplify the issues at stake between Calvinists and Arminians. For instance, in dealing with the question of the Perseverance of the Saints, although Dr. Forlines correctly mentions that some only hold to this point among the five Calvinist points (and would therefore be "Arminian" on the other 4 points), he goes on to state that "the theological foundation that supports the possibility of becoming lost again after a person is saved is found in what it means to be made in the image of God." (p. 276). Similarly, in speaking of the debate over Unconditional Election, Dr. Forlines writes that he feels "it has been a mistake over the centuries to focus the conflict between Calvinists and Ariminians on whether fallen or redeemed man has a free will. The real question is: Is fallen man a personal being or is he sub-personal?" (p. 313). And, again, rather than focusing on God's gracious provision of salvation for undeserving sinners in having His sinless Son come to die for us, Dr. Forlines remarks that "The purchase price is to be given consideration in giving an estimate of the value of a person" (pp. 461-462). In my view, that type of argument is not only incorrect, but carries the danger of encouraging readers to prejudge the issue on methodological or philosophical grounds rather than deal the Scriptural texts.

All in all, though, the book makes the vast majority of its arguments from Scripture and generally does an excellent job at presenting the Arminian position. As such, it is worth getting not only for Arminians but also for those seeking to balance their libraries with a scholarly work something other than a Calvinist or Dispensationalist perspective.

In a more comprehensive follow up to his "Systematics" of the 1970's, Leroy Forlines presents the tenets of "reformed" Arminianism in language easily understood by the uninitiated. He goes beyond the typical, "dry" theological presentation, arguing persuasively for his position on the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith. His argument, however, does not cower in ecclesiastical irrelevance. Instead, it confronts the Postmodern mood of the culture bringing the systematic truth of scripture into sharp conflict with the narcissism our current age.

He deals with the various familiar doctrines standing for the plenary verbal inspiration of scripture and the traditional doctrine of the trinity. His view of the nature of man acknowledges total depravity, but he diverges from some Calvinists, saying that the image of God remains in man to the extent that he is able to choose Christ of his own volition (aided of course by the drawing of the Holy Spirit.) While some may misunderstand this as a semi-pelagian view, he blunts that criticism with his explanation of what the image of God really means and with his insistence that man, apart from the wooing of the Holy Spirit, cannot choose Christ.

Forlines reserves much of his book (about 25%) for a detailed defense of the classic Arminian view of Conditional Election. This section is "must reading" for those who may be disciples of Calvin, having never read a full Arminian explanation of the subject. His reasoning is tight; his scriptural support, impeccable; and his arguments hard to refute. Instead of an arbitrary and arrogant dismissal (a response so often employed many Calvinists), his work on this subject deserves a reasoned, detailed response from those who disagree.

I would offer only two criticisms: First, while this book is certainly accessible to the uninitiated student, it lacks some weight because it doesn't appeal to as many primary sources as one might expect. (For instance, his second chapter, "The Acquisition of Upper Story Knowledge," while an obvious reference to the noumenal/phenomenal ideas of Kant, cites not Kant but Francis Shaeffer.) This will hurt the text as a college reference, but it will probably help the text in its appeal to the general population.

The second criticism is really more of a request. I would like to see Forlines expand this edition, including several chapters on eschatology, the nature and function of the church, and a more complete development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

That being said, I believe that this work is a welcome addition to the field and a cogent presentation of classical Arminianism. Perhaps a presentation like this will aid the understanding of those believers who have heard only caricatures of Arminianism, but never really understood what it means. Who knows, they may even find themselves agreeing!

Because the appearance of well-written, up-to-date, evangelical systematic theologies representing distinct traditions is relatively rare, the publication of Forlines's volume is highly significant. The work is a well-studied and well-argued defense of a non-Wesleyan Arminianism by the leading theologian of the Free Will Baptist Church. The author has greatly expanded and recrafted his earlier Systematics (Nashville: Randall House, 1975) into a new work. Though not indicated by the title, the book does function as a systematic or dogmatic theology except that the areas of pneumatology, ecclesiology, sacramentology, and eschatology are omitted and prolegomena is treated only briefly. Greatest emphasis is placed on anthropology, soteriology, and apologetics.

The work is designed to enable upper-level college and seminary students, pastors, and laymen to think through the Christian worldview. It is written with enough exegetical and theological material to serve as a textbook, but without the laborious detail, philosophical complexity, and polysyllabic vocabulary that tends to discourage the midrange reader.

Behind the author's "total personality" approach, which attempts to blend the search for objective truth with a passionate zeal (the author intentionally writes in the first person), are forty years of teaching systematic theology on the college level and ministering to the needs and problems of individual students. The author's years of study, reflection, ministry experience, decades of faithful Christian walk, and pastoral concerns, all come together to produce a book which is theological, pastoral, and apologetic.

The author first (chap. 1) presents his presuppositions (including inerrancy and premillennialism), his desire to present the basic truths of the Christian faith out of a heart for redemptive concern, and his approach that necessitates the interweaving of the academic, the practical, and the systematic in order to attempt to answer what he sees as the inescapable questions of life. He insists that truth will invariably touch four basic relationships: man's relationship with God, with other people, with himself, and with the created order.

Next the history of Western epistemology is traced briefly (chap. 2) from Copernicus to the postmodern era of doubt, ambivalence, and pluralism. The author sets forth four tests for evaluating a worldview in the contemporary setting: (1) Does it answer the inescapable questions of life? (2) Is there internal consistency? (3) Is there causal adequacy? and (41) Does it conform to that which is undeniably true? These tests are especially relevant in the postmodern intellectual milieu, which the author insightfully describes as a failed, but dangerous, experiment.

In contrast to secular epistemology is the author's bibliology (chaps. 3, 4). Included under general revelation is the fact that human beings, created in the image of God, are preprogrammed with a knowledge of what God is like. This revelation alone, along with special revelation that has been incorporated into Scripture (which is inerrant in the original manuscripts and must be interpreted according to the grammaticohistorical method), provides the much-needed answers to the inescapable questions.

The Scriptures point to a God who is personal, independent, immutable, omniscient, omnipotent, holy, loving, wise, good and truthful (chap. 5). His single essence is shared fully by three persons (chap. 6).

At this point Forlines pauses to develop his four tests for worldviews (chap. 7), tests which are validated by both man's constitutional makeup and the theistic arguments. They demonstrate the reasonableness and the singular ability of the Christian worldview to meet fully the needs of both the human mind and heart.

This apologetic leads to the author's anthropology (chaps. 8, 9) in which dichotomy and traducianism are defended. Man came into being, not through evolution, but through the creative work of God which took place during six solar days (hence a young earth). Man is a person created both in the rational and moral likeness of God and is designed for relationships. Because of man's personhood and its resulting interplay of dependence, independence, and interdependence, Forlines argues that "influence and response" are more appropriate terms for describing the interaction of the divine in the human decision-making process than the more determinative "cause and effect."

Sin has caused a malfunction in the divine image in man, so that while the constituent parts remain intact after the fall (sin is transmitted according to the natural headship view), man no longer thinks, acts, and feels in a way that is pleasing to God. Although man may rightly be described as totally depraved, as a person he retains the power of choice, but his will can be exercised only within the framework of possibilities established by God; hence it is not an absolute freedom. Therefore, influence can be brought to bear upon his will but cannot guarantee or determine its actions. "Dead in trespasses and sins" means that man is cut off from communion with God, not that he is totally deaf toward God's communications.

After anthropology the author presents his Christology (chap. 10). Christ, who came both to be man's kinsman redeemer and to reveal God to man, is fully human and fully divine in one person. He was impeccable, though his temptations and triumphs were real. He was raised, ascended, was exalted, and will remain forever in the same physical body which he possessed during his earthly life.

Christology is followed by the author's soteriology (chap. 11). He defends the penal satisfaction view of the atonement, which includes both the active and passive obedience of Christ, and rejects the governmental view held by a number of Arminians. Through union with Christ the benefits of Christ's atoning work become the believer's in a real, not merely declarative, sense. Consistent with the author's view of personhood is his defense of the traditional age of accountability at which time, but not before, infants are held liable for their sin before God.

By its nature the valid experience of justification necessarily results in sanctification, and it is only easy-believism which says otherwise (chap. 12). Scripture teaches that there is a basic change in the personality of redeemed people both in the conscious and sub-conscious levels, so that subsequent actions reflect the changed inner nature. Self-denial is required, but not the annihilation of the self. Sanctification involves the restoration of the functional likeness of God that was lost in the fall. Forlines defends the Classical Arminian view of conditional monergism in regard to justification and regeneration, which he sees as acts of God but acts which do not take place without the exercise of faith on the part of the recipient.

Salvation is conditioned upon a single, not double, response that may be described both as an attitude "from" sin and "to" Christ (chap. 13). Faith that involves a commitment to Christ, including his Lordship, is part of a framework of possibilities created by the Holy Spirit for the will. Forlines charges that if regeneration is the beginning of sanctification and God cannot enter with his sanctifying grace until the guilt is removed via justification, then Calvinism is in trouble with its view of regeneration as prior to justification. Furthermore, there can be no regeneration before faith because regeneration is a redemptive act. Justification is grounded on Christ alone but is bestowed only on the condition of faith.

By these Arminian principles Forlines concludes that it is possible for a person who has been truly saved to become once again lost and fall under the wrath of God, though this apostasy can occur but once (chap. 14). He attacks the popular "once saved, always saved" concept and counters Calvinism by arguing that the ability to fall away is necessitated both by the definition of a person and certain "apostasy" texts such as Heb 6:4-6 and 10:26-29. He further argues that while the Calvinistic "cause and effect" model is unable to harmonize the entrance of sin into the universe with the sovereignty of God, the "influence and response" model sees God's wisdom as bringing about the execution of his will, particularly using the conditional continuance of salvation in the matter of the believer's perseverance.

At this point the author presents his understanding of the doctrine of election (chap. 15). He argues against both the unlimited and limited views of determinism that he detects in various Calvinistic writers with their different orders of the decrees. He attempts to counter the Calvinistic doctrine of election on the basis of its three assumptions. (1) Against the principle that divine sovereignty requires unconditional election, he argues that man's personhood negates the "cause and effect" model while the "influence and response" model better fits the biblical anthropology. Forlines holds that God's inscrutable foreknowledge of events means that it is certain that they will occur but not that they are necessary. The sovereign and wise God is able to accomplish his purposes through the appropriate "influence and response." (2) Against the assertion that total depravity precludes the response of faith from a sinner before regeneration, Forlines maintains that the satisfaction view of the atonement implies that God cannot regenerate before the guilt of sin is removed through justification. (3) Against the statement that free salvation precludes conditional election, Forlines argues that there are conditional efficacious decrees, decrees to influence, and decrees to permit events such as sin, by which God works effectively.

To buttress his defense of the classical Arminian view of election, Forlines challenges the exegetical understanding of important texts used by Calvinists to support conditional election, such as Rom 9:14-29; 8:30; John 1:12-13; 3:14-15; 8:37-44; and Acts 13:48 (chap. 16). He concludes that none of these passages requires unconditional election; he furthermore believes that Romans 9 supports conditional election.

Having dealt with the "Calvinistic texts," Forlines proceeds to marshal biblical support for conditional election (chap. 17). He concludes from (1) his study of the Greek words proorizo (predestine), progin&ko (foreknow), eklegomai (elect), haireomai (chosen), and ekloge (elected); (2) the extent of the offer of salvation, including the broadness of those called and the "whosoever" passages; (3) the unlimited extent of the atonement, which he sees in verses such as John 3:16 and 1 Tim 2:6; (4) the logical requirement of avoiding universalism; (5) the necessity of avoiding a double payment with regard to sinners in hell; and (6) God's desire for the salvation of sinners (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9) that unconditional election is the biblical implication.

The author's final chapter (chap. 18) deals with communicating the Christian message in a postmodern culture. Forlines perceptively reviews the cultural shifts that have produced the postmodern mindset and asserts the importance and sole adequacy of both general and special revelation in ministering to the contemporary paradigm.

At the end of the book are two appendices, one on the sins of ignorance and presumptuous sins in both testaments and another on legalism in the book of Galatians. The footnotes for the entire book follow the appendices, and at the very end are the author/ subject and the Scripture indices.

The author is to be commended on a number of counts. He gives careful attention to exegetical detail and demonstrates an unusual combination of intellectual argument and spiritual application. He also takes "the high road" in his argumentation, avoiding ad hominem tactics. He evidences careful reading of the original works of those whom he opposes (principally Calvinistic writers) and carefully attempts to distinguish between their views and common caricatures of those views.

Calvinistic writers will disagree on a number of matters. They will be unsympathetic to the suggested adequacy of his "influence and response" model as an explanation of God's exercise of his sovereignty in regard to the human will. While not denying the integrity of human personhood, Calvinists operate with a far more radical and absolute understanding of total depravity and the condition of spiritual death, which can only be remedied by a cataclysmic act of the Holy Spirit. They will also object to the failure to distinguish adequately between the logical and the chronological orders of the decrees, a distinction that allows regeneration to come logically before faith and repentance. Reformed writers will also disagree on the interpretation of many texts involving unconditional election, perseverance, and eternal security.

But Forlines has presented to the Christian community an excellent practical presentation and defense of the classical non-Wesleyan Arminianism that is rarely represented in the systematic theology sections of academic and church libraries, a challenge for Calvinistic writers to answer, and an example of the necessary and fruitful wedding of doctrine and life directed toward the zealous ministry of the gospel toward the lost. --Lou Igou Hodges, JETS, Dec. 2002

The Son Tay Prison Raid was a good idea but was based on poor intelligence. Benjamin Schemmer did a good telling the story. It's too bad it doesn't have a happy ending.

Sam McGowan
Vietnam Veteran, author "The Cave"

Great account of the brilliantly executed 1970 special operations mission to rescue POWs, and the breakdown in intelligence which resulted in the rescuers coming away empty handed. If you've read about the mission to rescue the hostages at the embassy in Iran a few years later, you'll recognize a number of the names. (See Delta Force by Charlie Beckwith for details on the Iranian mission.)

Before reading this story, I simply had no idea that the raid on Son Tay had such a major impact. I found the story very emotional yet informative. The audio is a wonderful presentation.

First published in 1976, "The Raid" is the story of the heroic attempt to rescue 61 Americans from the North Vietnamese POW camp at Son Tay in November, 1970. It is thoroughly and meticulously researched. Its' 3 reprints attest to the quality. Author Schemmer had some obvious command cooperation in its' compilation. "The Raid" devotes more effort -and pages- in depicting the painstaking step by step preparation and practice that was dedicated to the rescue than the actual time on the ground. That is understandable, since the mission lasted less than 30 minutes. The camp was empty and no one was rescued! The author examines the intelligence "considerations' behind that unpleasant fact. More time and space is given to the inevitable damage control that the Pentagon and White House had to tackle. That easy to appreciate as well, given the frantic antiwar feelings in this country at the time. The raid took place less than 4 months after our troops were withdrawn from Cambodia. That incursion had sparked huge domestic protests. There are three outstanding traits to this tale: The first is the obvious bravery and courage shown by the men involved. The second is the sheer amount of logistical support and inter -service coordination that the effort required. There is an impressive array of those Command acronyms. As any veteran would rightly suspect, there was a bit of infighting as well. I appreciated reading that General Ryan, Air Force Chief of Staff, gave an open letter to some of the chief planners directing they receive complete "no questions asked" cooperation. Those who felt unable to comply were to call the General directly! How many calls do we think Ryan received? Finally, we the author incorporates the human beings who were the actual prisoners. We read of some of the more distinguished, such as Robinson Risner and Jerimiah Denton as well as those not as famous but who suffered as much and more. "The Raid" is almost a mini-history of the POW saga-one that extends to this very day. Over 1,800 men remain unaccounted for. Some claimed the raid to be a failure. It strikes this reviewer as an outstanding success. That's because after Son Tay, most POWs were consolidated into the big Hanoi area prisons. There was safety-not to mention a command structure-in numbers. Treatment improved, especially since many prisoners could help themselves. This reviewer would like to compliment President Nixon and Defense Secretary Laird for supporting a military action they knew would be unpopular and suspected might be unsuccessful. Canceling the operation would have been the easy way out; they courageously chose the difficult course. To this day, Mr. Nixon remains the only Chief Executive to seriously address the POW issue. Those buying "The Raid" should strongly consider Frank Anton's "Why Didn't You Get Me Out?" It's time frame perfectly complements Mr. Schemmer's tale. Finally, there is the virtual Bible on the subject, "Code Name Bright Light". That may be a lot of reading but what subject is more worthwhile?

On November 21st, 1970, a rescue mission would be launched inside North Vietnam that would eventually gain status as being possibly the most incredible operation ever conducted during the Vietnam war.

The culmination of months of grueling planning and training, intensive coordination through military channels, extensive secrecy, and special operations wizardry would lead to the daring raid on the Son Tay POW camp just 20 short miles outside of Hanoi. So well prepared was the team that after the raid's accomplishment, no lives were lost and everyone returned safely after just 26 minutes on the ground. Everyone except U.S. POW's, that is, who were unfortunately not at the POW compound being that it had been abandoned only months previously. Information discovered as to why the Son Tay facility was empty would prove to be both revealing and disturbing to the raid planners and executers.

In assessing the aftermath of the mission itself, although deemed a failure by the mainstream media and squabbled over by Congress, the military, and intelligence agencies, positive aspects would eventually come to light to justify the raid a success after all. Unknown to many outside the purview of the POW's themselves, the raid was an eye opener to the North Vietnamese who now fully realized that America would defy the greatest of odds to repatriate their POW's and show them that they were not forgotten. The Son Tay rescue mission was a serious morale booster for our U.S. captives and also hastened their improved treatment from their North Vietnamese jailors.

Benjamin F. Schemmer has written a fascinating and in-depth study into one of the most sensational rescue missions ever accomplished in the history of warfare. Richly detailed and researched, included are photographs, maps, and appendixes with a multitude of statistics and operational facts. Whether just a casual reader or an avid fan of Vietnam era history, The Raid is an excellent book from start to finish. For those readers interested in the complete story of POW rescues in Vietnam, I would highly recommend the book "Code Name Bright Light: The Untold Story of POW Rescue Efforts During the Vietnam War" by George J. Veith.

Simple, concise and very insightful; a must read for any Reiki practioner. Written for someone who is at least a Reiki I, it gives the insights as to why first treat yourself, then others; as well as putting the 5 precepts into practice into your daily life. Also covered are just what does a Reiki practioner do; and what limits should be observed, including when to let go. This is a book about Reiki from the point of view of a Usui Master; there is nothing in here about "channeling" or other modalities or non-Usui practices incorporated into many other books on Reiki. It assumes you know the basics. It has a delicate balance of the practical and the spiritual. I feel any Reiki library is very incomplete without this work.

There are many books available which talk about the Usui System of Natural Healing (Reiki). Earlene Gleisner's "Reiki In Everyday Living" is the book I give my Reiki students or to those interested in learning about Reiki. These short essays and poems give the best illustration I've found for the "feel" of the practice of Reiki. I highly recommend it.

Reiki in Everyday Living is one of the most accessible Reiki books on the market. Author Earlene Gleisner features, through a series of essays and poems, practical advice on using Reiki for the self and for others. Her background in hospice work makes the section on Reiki for the Dying one of the strongest elements of the book...particularly helpful since the majority of other Reiki books don't address this very important subject. This book assists all Reiki students in furthering their appreciation of the healing system through the author's use of personal experience. Her commitment to the system is obvious in the text of this book. As a Reiki teacher, I find that I am often recommending it to new students looking for an easy-to-read review of what Reiki is all about and to experienced students wanting to get a fresh look at an old friend. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to own a book on Reiki...you will go back to it again and again.

One of the most warm-hearted Reiki Masters one could hope to encounter, Earlene Gleisner, R.N. displays her enormous compassion for humankind and her great gift for lively storytelling in this little book that is worth its weight in hopes and dreams come true.

As her writing shows, this genuine person, this Teacher demonstrates how *standing in one's own center* and allowing Reiki to *flow through* is at the core of wellness. Life-force energy is like an ocean in which we human beings thrive she is telling us. It is a natural blessing of life, and ever-present ebb-and-flow, and we are all free to enjoy it.

Changes, decisions and questions are part of all of our lives. "Reiki in Eeveryday Living" offers a method for attaining personal clarity within that process.

A *must read* for Reiki practitioners and anyone interested in a common sense approach to natural healing.

Earlene Gleisner did more than just write another book on Reiki; in sharing her experiences and insights as Reiki Master teacher, she provides a most useful tool for those who have just had their first level attunements and are about to begin their journey as Reiki practitioners. Students will always find there enlighthened words of wisdom born out of steady faith in the process of life and how Reiki can and will help them live their lifes consciously. It helps Reiki students understand their initial feelings and uncertainties when starting their path towards self-discovery. Even non-reikians will benefit from this book because it is in fact addressed to all human beings who are searching for understanding the events in their own lifes and are ready to take full responsibility for themselves, their choices and decisions and then learn from the results. I will always be grateful to Earlene for having so compassionately shared her deep knowledge on the workings of Reiki in my everyday living.

This book is very informative not only for experienced Dialysis professionals but also for those who are new to this sub-specialty. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs a book that is very readable and covers the topics necessary without using terminology that is too technical and complicated to understand.

"THIS EDITION INCLUDES SIX NEW CHAPTERS:
* Transplantation
* Diabetes and Hemodialysis
* Pediatric Hemodialysis
* ESRD in the Elderly
* Management of Quality in Dialysis Care
* Renal Care and Information Technology
These chapters focus on the needed interdisciplinary approach reaching across the continuum of care."
[from the book of back cover]

I've been a Dialysis Tech for a year now. I used this book to get throught the interview process, and we used much of the information in this book in the classroom. It is worth every penny.

I used this book at a study guide for the nursing certification test in 2000. I passed with flying colors. It is comprhensive and to the point. There wasn't a subject in the test that was not covered in this book as well. This book is a much easier read than the ANNA curriculum. If you are looking to study for the CNN or CDN then look no further.

This book provides a thorough and easy to understand review of all aspects of hemodialysis.