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O Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

O
The Midwife's Song: A Story of Moses' Birth
Published in Paperback by Karmichael Press (2000-10)
Author: Brenda Ray
List price: $14.95
New price: $7.95
Used price: $2.00

Average review score:

Emotional
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-19
One of the few books to ever make me cry while reading. Even a movie doesn't often take me there. This book made me want to kiss my children, read my Bible and give my husband a great warm hug. Life was so deeply felt even in the midst of such terror.

I need another one....get to writing Mrs. Ray.

Excellent balance of history, fiction and spirituality
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-07

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've read several other similar ones, but this one managed to achieve a balance that many of the others did not. It was also very suspenseful. The plot of this novel is built around the little known midwives of the Exodus story. Ray's protagonist, Puah, is an apprentice midwife to Shifrah. Puah demonstrates great strength and integrity. I felt it was very spiritual and uplifting without being corny.

A Moving Novel
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-24
Puah is the heroine of the novel. She is a young midwife living in Pharoah's world. When she is given orders by Pharaoh to kill all male Hebrew babies, Puah finds the courage within her to defy him.
I found this book to be more of a love story, than a historical fiction novel, but that didn't bother me the least bit. Puah and her husband Hattush's love story was so moving. Certain parts were real tear-jerkers. I really appreciated the quotes from the Bible at the beginning of each chapter.
I was so sad to see the book come to an end.

The way it may have been
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-21
This book provides a very vivid picture of how the events may have unfolded around the time of Moses's birth. It is nice to be able to understand the characters and how they may have acted and felt. At its best, this tale is both informative and moving.

However, this is not a piece of great literature. The story is, sometimes painfully, contrived and trite. The repetition of phrases like "fine linen" and awkwardly used flashbacks quickly become grating.

The story of Puah is compelling, but the telling of it is not. Despite its weakness, this is still a good read for those who want new insight into a very familiar story.

Engaging from the first page
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-31
A wonderfully written and fascinating tale of the midwives Puah and Shiphrah. Brenda Ray brought the characters to life unfolding a story filled with romance, inspiration and gripping drama. A very enjoyable book; I was a bit sad for it to end. I found The Midwife's Song to be a more compelling read than The Red Tent.

O
Network Warrior
Published in Paperback by O'Reilly Media, Inc. (2007-06-21)
Author: Gary A. Donahue
List price: $44.99
New price: $27.98
Used price: $24.00

Average review score:

Great Cisco networking book. Every sys admin should have it.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-14
This is a great book on Cisco networking, so just buy it now. I've tried reading the CCNA prep books before but never got around to finishing them because they got into too much detail and I wasn't working with Cisco products enough to get hands-on experience.

At my current job I'm more involved in networking, so when I saw this book, I thought I'd give it a shot. So far it's been very helpful. This book is strictly practical in nature, so you won't get a lot of detail on Ethernet framing or the OSI model. (Note to author, it would be helpful in the second edition to include one concise chapter on the OSI model and network protocols as a refresher.)

If you have a certification such as MCSA, MCSE, Network+, or CCNA, you will have all the background info you need before reading this book. If you have no networking knowledge at all, this book is not for you.

I've been skipping around reading different chapters (this is the kind of book where you can do that). This is one of the few IT book that I've read that actually gave me practical info that I could put to use right away. Here are two examples:

1.) From Ch 2 regarding auto-negotiation: In June 2008 we moved to a new office that had all new gigabit Cisco switches that replaced our 10/100 switches. A few weeks after our move we started getting reports of errors when saving files to our EMC Celerra NAS. Users would get errors saving files to the NAS and their computers' system logs would report a "Delayed Write Failed" error.

Source: MRxSmb
EventID:50
{Delayed Write Failed} Windows was unable to save all the data for the file \Device\LanmanRedirector
The data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please try to save this file elsewhere.

This looked to be a network issue so when I was poking around the Celerra Manager I noticed that its NICs were hard coded to 100 full duplex. Since we were on gigabit switches that were set to auto-negotiate, I deduced (from the knowledge gained in this chapter) that the EMC devices should be set to auto-negotiate as well. So after contacting EMC and then changing the EMC NICs to auto-negotiate, we've had no more reports of these errors.

2.) From Ch 9 regarding routing: I ran into an issue with improper configuration of the gateway of last resort during our office move. For whatever reason, the gateway of last resort was not configured on our new VLANs. We noticed the problem because we couldn't get to the Internet, but we could get to our other offices. When our network support vendor walked my manager through running the sho ip route command, I immediately saw "gateway of last resort is not set" at the top and knew that it was the issue. So even though I had only been reading this book for two weeks, it paid off. I'm sure the vendor would have found the issue after a few more minutes, but it was nice to be able to point out the issue to them.

Excellent book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-17
I found this book to be absolutely remarkable. The text at the top about it being what you need to be that wasn't on the CCNA is all too true.

Mr. Donahue's writing style is what makes the book. He explains often complex topics in a manner of a grizzled old veteran telling a war story. He doesn't break down into the deep technical details, he tells you how it works and why you should do it the way he's telling you to.

There's more that goes into being a network monkey than just knowing what commands to type, and the insight he offers into the more social aspects of how to be a network guy are invaluable. It is my honest opinion that the final chapters, particularly those on how to deal with management and being a nerd, should be required reading for anyone that works at a technology company.

It is my sincere hope that Mr. Donahue continues his writing career and takes his style of communicating to other complex subjects. I would love a dissertation of BGP written in the same manner, for example.

If you're a bright shiny new CCNA, or studying for the CCNA, and you're serious about pursuing a career in networking, buy this book. It won't help you pass any exams, but you'll find it as one of your favorite reference materials nonetheless.

What a great book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-03
I loved three things about this book:

1- The simple style it conveys from cover to cover. Every subject in network administration is divided into short but detailed chapters in order to keep the reader's attention focused. Anyone can write a book that lists an experienced user's knowledge of the subject, but it takes a real engineer to compile the data in small doses of knowledge.

2- The clarity of the information mentioned. The author uses the same style of defining the problem, suggesting the best solution, and detailing the technical commands to implement the best solution.
Common pitfalls, problem symptoms, and real life examples are provided as well.

3- The deep coverage of the subject at hand. The author goes over almost every subject in network administration, but without the extra fluff. It's really what you need to know.

Definitely a great buy.




A good effort, needs a little more depth in some places
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-15
Network Warrior is another quite useful O'Reilly effort in the Cisco handbook space. It really is potentially handy for many real-time network operators. One thing I wish the author had spent much more time on is Ethernet switching. He does dig into some of the quirks of configuring VLANs in the Cisco environment but to my way of thinking associated subjects (mirroring, span port config, spanning tree troubleshooting) need a lot more exposure. One area that cannot be talked about enough are the twists involved in setting up spanning tree through a complex VLAN network. Another potentially vital topic involves interoperating with other vendors' equipment in a spanning tree network. I bought this book hoping for more exposure than I got in those areas. This is the only reason I didn't give it five.

Great next read after getting your CCNA!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-09
One of the best networking books I have read, period. Not just how it works, but why it works and should be configured. After you study and obtain your CCNA, this is the next read that will fill in many information holes.

Highly recommended.

O
Programming Coldfusion
Published in Paperback by O'Reilly Media, Incorporated (2001-08-06)
Author: Rob Brooks-Bilson
List price: $49.95
New price: $19.39
Used price: $5.41

Average review score:

One of my favorite ColdFusion Books
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
I have been learning ColdFusion for about 5 months now and have 4 books on it. So far I have this one and 3 others. And out of all the books I have on ColdFusion, I use this one and one other one the most. Even though it is written in ColdFusion MX, it still has a lot of good ColdFusion examples and descriptions on how to make some of the most popular applications. Great book if your looking for a book that is a little cheaper and still has a lot of great info. If your looking for the new breakthrough features of CF8, than mabye you should try somewhere else. But overall, a great book for the price!!

THE best Cold Fusion Book.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-02
This book is the best Cold Fusion book to date. I use this book daily. The book contains clear examples without a lot of fluff. Can't wait until the next release.

Good and practical
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-25
Everithing you need to good programming in ColdFusion. Not to useful if you're interested in Server Configuration.

This Book Is It
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-18
The only quibble I have with this book is that it is not long enough! Some parts just paraphrase ColdFusion documentation, which is not bad in itself but left me wanting to know more from the author about how he applied the feature to a project.

It would be phenomenal if the author could expand this book or, better yet, put together a new book of more extended examples called "ColdFusion Examples in a Nutshell," similar to "Java Examples in a Nutshell" by David Flanagan.

Having said that, I can now state that this book is a shining example of what a programming book is supposed to be:
(1) Well-Organized. Chapters are grouped logically.
(2) Well-Documented. Almost every topic has at least one example; a few have a complete set of templates to guide the beginning CF (ColdFusion) programmer.
(3) Well-Balanced. In addition to instructive code, the author also provides many in-depth explanations of ColdFusion and database principles.

Superb book! My new daily reference!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-28
About six months ago the company I work for recently moved to Coldfusion 5 server (holding off on CFMX until all the bugs are worked out) and since that time, application programming duties have been dumped on me. As a web designer and not a programmer, this was a more than a little worrisome. After trying to wade through Forta's Construction Kit, Hewitt's Core Coldfusion 5, as well as "Mastering Coldfusion 5" it was as if the light was turned on by Rob Brooks-Bilson's Programming Coldfusion.

By the by, those books mentioned are all great books. I own all of them. But when it came down to what I really needed to know and understand Bilson came through like no other. Great job Rob! Keep up the good work.

O
Rosie O'Donnell's Crafty U: 100 Easy Projects the Whole Family Can Enjoy All Year Long
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (2008-04-08)
Author: Rosie O'Donnell
List price: $21.95
New price: $10.97
Used price: $11.99
Collectible price: $70.00

Average review score:

Great for all skill levels
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-19
I bought 2 of these books having seen Rosie on the Martha Stewart show. The way she includes her children to do all sorts of crafts,is fabulous. I am an avid stamper and scrapbooker, so I thought this would be ideal for me when I have the grand kids over, so then I had to buy another so my daughter also had a book so she could learn how to do crafts with the kids.
thanks so much.

Great Book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-17
This is a great book, full of lots of fun activities many of which don't take anything more than what you have around the house. In fact I had it sitting on my living room end table and my daughter in law who doesn't even have kids said she'd love to have a copy for her own use.

I know some of you are not Rosie fans, but believe me she really understands what gets kids excited about craft projects.

Best craft book -- ever!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-21
Wow. I teach crafts and art to children in the summer and this book gave me great new ideas on all age and skill levels. I like the formulas in the back of the book for homemade clay, etc. A must have for every crafter and mom.

Fantastic craft projects for the family!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-15
I just love this book! The projects have wonderful pictures and very clear instructions. They can all be done with items found around the house. And, my grandkids have loved every one that we have done. This book is definitely worth the money.

Disappointed...And Back it Goes
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-05
I was very excited to order this book after reading all of the glowing reviews. When I received it I dropped everything to read it (I can vacuum another day!) and was quickly disappointed. There was very little new information in here - anyone who reads Family Fun or has a passing knowledge of Martha Stewart has seen these before.

I did give it three stars because it was well laid out and photographed. Anyone who is new to crafting with their kids will find this a valuable resource. As for myself, it is on it's way back to amazon to find a home with another family.

O
Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials: Great Aliens from Science Fiction Literature
Published in Paperback by Workman Publishing Company (1987-01-11)
Authors: Wayne Douglas Barlowe, Ian Summers, and Beth Meacham
List price: $13.95
New price: $14.99
Used price: $3.55

Average review score:

Amazing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-11
It could be science fiction
myths...
unrealistic scenario,
but certainly it is amazing.
So much work went in the
preparation of this book.
So much details.
My God!
It is really amazing....


S. Mahdi, Cairo, Egypt.

think of it as "Alien Centerfolds of Sci-Fi"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-02
The artwork in this book is fabulous. It's a neat little companion book for sci-fi fans; it has wonderful illustrations of all the various organisms that have been portrayed in some of sci-fi's classic and canonical works. And along with those illustrations? Little one-page write ups on their biology, social structure, etc.

Graphic SF Reader
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-03
Once I saw that there was a Velantian in this, from E. E. Doc Smith's Lensman series, I was sold, and had to get it. Done as a page by page look at each species the artwork is excellent, and these are the sort of funny looking monster types that kids like too, so it can work on more than one level, most definitely.


Xenophanes
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-02
Good book. I have owned this since I was a child. It was a great portal into many of these classic Sci Fi books as I would have never heard about them otherwise. Barlowe has a fantastic nack for bringing life to these aliens. Highly recommended.

From the author of Tales of Ancient Xenar
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-08
I enjoy art books, mainly books of fantasy art. But this book is more a sci-fi art book, and a very good one at that. Mr. Barlowe did a excellent job with the illustrations in this book. I read H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness." I had a hard time visualizing the Old ones described in that novelette. But Mr. Barlowe helped me greatly by including them in this volume and even summarizing their history. I would love to see how Mr. Barlowe would visualize all the creatures in my book, Tales of Ancient Xenar. I know he has a fantasy art book and I hope to see that one very soon. And to be honest, the only thing I am disappointed about is the fact Amazon.com ony allows a max of 5 stars. This book deserve well more than that.

O
Battling the MSG Myth
Published in Plastic Comb by Front Porch Productions (2007-03-05)
Author: Deborah L. Anglesey
List price: $24.00
New price: $24.00

Average review score:

Fantastic book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-18
This book is fantastic. I am severely sensitive to MSG and needed help in knowing what was safe to eat. This book really helped me understand the dozens of names MSG is hidden under and most importantly helped me figure out what I could safely eat. After getting this book and following the recipe suggestions- I have felt so much better. I've owned this book for three years and refer to it weekly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for direction on how to eliminate msg from their diet.

Some of my favorite recipes have come from this book!

Fantastic - my migraines are gone-lost weight- feeling terrific
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-07
This book is fantastic! I have been following Debbie's Sample Diet on her website for the past month and no more migraines. I am giving this book to my allergist - maybe he will research how msg affects people in so many ways. Also, giving to friend with son diagnosed as Attention/Behavior problems - I believe it may help tremendously. Also, giving to friend with abdomen bloating, pain, etc. Why isn't this information known by doctors and made easily available to the public?? Thanks so much Debbie!!

Finally - Validation
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-01
This book was worth the price to me, because it is the first time I have read that citric acid can have the same effect that MSG has on a person. Years ago I was forced to find out what was causing me to have the headaches from hell. When I discovered that it was MSG, I avoided it like the poison it is. However, from time to time I would still have one of these dreaded episodes. When I couldn't trace any intake of MSG, I looked for another culprit. I finally realized the problem was citric acid. I have told a number of doctors this only to have some varied reactions. A couple of them have just outright laughed in my face. "No one can be allergic to citric acid", they say. And both of these men were alternative doctors who claimed to be very aware of how important diet is in our lives. However, I knew it was a culprit. Deborah goes into great detail about the list of things that can cause the problems for MSG sensitive individuals.

She has some great sounding recipes in the book. However, she is obviously not sensitive to sugar. Her recipes are heavy with sugar, but I understand that is not her problem, and I will just have to make allowances for that and adjust the recipes for me. I am very glad that I found this book. I am heartsick at what our country is doing to us by letting our food supply be filled with these toxins and protecting the food industry for the sake of the almighty dollar. My husband says I am like the Canary in the mine. Through my problems we have learned a lot and are trying eat right. Hopefully, my family will not have to suffer with some of the horrible brain related diseases that a lot of families are going through by eliminating these awful additives from our diet. If you suspect that you or one of your family members have a problem with MSG, I would recommend that you get this book.

BUY THIS BOOK!!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-02
This book has been needed for a long time. Kudos to the author for all her research and well written book. The recipes for all the sauces etc, that are not safe to buy ready made, are a gift from heaven to our family and to everyone who EATS!! MSG has invaded almost all manufactured food products and under so many guises, that to be safe you must make everything you ingest yourself. I am totally migraine free after 35 years. And I know how to shop for canned Tuna and dozens of other items you would never have known contained MSG. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! My grandchildren will be so much healthier, brain safe and smarter, because their Gramma has this wonder of a book! We are a medical family that is actively trying to prevent damaging elements being in the food supply and fed to the children(and adults)of the world, who assume that it is safe and under some watchful government eye. I plan on recommending this book to everyone I know.

MSG Sensistive people pay attention!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-13
This is a great cookbook. If you are or suspect that you are sensitive to MSG (glutamate) then following the recommendations in this book will help you feel better.

O
Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration
Published in Paperback by Belknap Press (1998-07-21)
Authors: Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson
List price: $22.00
New price: $9.49
Used price: $6.97

Average review score:

Journey of the Ants
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-14
I have to admit I did not expect to find this book as interesting as it turned out to be. I was only interested in identifying some species within my yard and discovered quite a bit about ants. This book won't make you an expert, but it has made me see ants from a whole new perspective, so much so that I have come to like them instead of disliking them. I can also see why it is possible to kill a colony so easily. Never knew that once the queen is gone, there is no colony. I think if ants had atom bombs they would have destroyed the earth by now - killing each other. I had no idea they were so aggressive towards one another. Anyway, great book to read.

Start point book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-18
Apart from being a great book for all kind of reader, it was, for me (eight years ago!), a start point and it was probably the cause I focus my career nowadays in these small insects. It's quite nice for a child (then better with adult, not to read alone) or young people interested in natural sciences.

Wonderful!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-08
I loved this book. After reading it I spent the next night telling my wife all I'd managed to remember.

Truly a fascinating adventure to another world
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-18
Journey to the Ants is a shorter version of the authors' monumental The Ants (1990), a 732-page tome aimed at professional biologists with a lot of technical language and a clear encyclopedic intent. This book, as Holldobler and Wilson explain in the Preface, is of "a more manageable length, with less technical language and with an admitted and unavoidable bias toward those topics and species on which we have personally worked."

It is a terrific book, lavishly illustrated with many color plates, line drawings, black and white drawings, photos, etc. Especially wonderful are the color prints of paintings by John D. Dawson showing ants in various activities. His style reminds me a bit of M.C. Esher. Also notable are the many photos taken by Holldobler and Wilson during their many travels and studies. They are both renowned experts on ants around the world.

The text is both informative and entertaining. Wilson in particular is a world class science writer as well as a great scientist, and his clarity of expression and enthusiasm show through. The chapters examine and illustrate how ants live in their colonies, how they hunt prey, tend aphid "cattle," cultivate fungi, raid other ant colonies; how they fight and how they reproduce. Other chapters focus on particular species, like army ants or leaf cutter ants, or "strange" ants. Still other chapters show how ants communicate especially through pheromones and touch. There is some theory on ant origins (about 100-120 million years ago) and their evolution and present distribution. I was particularly interested in and appalled by both the way some ants are parasites and how they themselves are exploited by parasites. Our esteemed authors show how ants, for all their power and evolutionary success, can be the most naive victims of beetles, flies, butterfly larva, etc. simply because they can be fooled by smells that mimic those of the colony and/or because they can be given irresistible concoctions of food or what might be called "drugs" that make them passive and acceptive of insects that will eat their eggs and larva. They are also tricked into feeding strangers on the trail and alien larva in the colony nest!

I purposely first read a couple of other books on ants (The World of Ants: A Science-Fiction Universe (1970) by Remy Chauvin, and Ants (1977) by M.V. Brian), written by myrmecologists of an earlier generation so as to be able to better appreciate this famous work. But you need not do that. Journey to the Ants is eminently accessible to just about any literate person.

While reading I had some thoughts (as Wilson famously has had) on the differences and similarities between ant societies and human ones. Ants are not governed as we are (and as was once thought) in any way by a central authority. (They are influenced by the queen's pheromones and her behavior.) Instead ants are examples of "swarm intelligence," that is purposeful and coordinated behavior that arises from each individual doing what comes naturally to that individual. This sort of intelligence was just beginning to be appreciated when Holldobler and Wilson wrote this book. The phrase "swarm intelligence" does not appear anywhere in the book, and yet it is clear that our present understanding of how this intelligence works was gleaned in part from the work of biologists and ethologists like Holldobler and Wilson.

Ants are famous for doing human-like things that no other animals or few can do, such as gardening, tending herds, making war, and constructing elaborate living spaces. It is usually said that ants do it from pure instinct whereas we use our intelligence and the experience. Humans and ants cannot be defined independently of their respective cultures. What I wonder is, is it an artificiality to say that their intelligence, spread out as it is among the individuals and their genetic endowments, is fundamentally different from our own? Clearly ants are limited in what they can construct, what they can understand, and what tools they can make and use. I read somewhere that ants never developed fire because no ant could get close enough to a sustainable fire to tend it.

A striking conclusion is that perhaps the real difference between us comes from our ability to grow a million times bigger in size which allows us not only to tend fires, but to develop brains large enough to handle abstract thought such as in language, which further allows us to develop and share ideas, concepts, practices, and all the other aspects of our culture in a way that is impossible for ants, whose brain size is limited by their anatomy.

So, although ants were here long before we arrived, and although they probably will be here long after we are gone, it is impossible to say which life form is the more successful. We do have at present the capability, which ants do not, of enhancing our ability to survive through genetic engineering and the development of biologically friendly machines, and even the ability to migrate away from this earth so that our genes and ourselves are not in one basket, so to speak. Should a planet-sterilizing event hit the earth, we could be on Mars and still survive.

But then there is this insidious thought: perhaps the ants, like our resident microbes, will find a way to come with us!

Don't miss this book. You are in for a treat.

amazing
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-03
There is few to say that has not been said. It is very well written and the information is mind-boggling.

O
The One Year Book of Christian History (One Year Books)
Published in Paperback by Tyndale House Publishers (2003-02-05)
Authors: E. Michael Rusten and Sharon O. Rusten
List price: $16.99
New price: $10.60
Used price: $4.69
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

Great devotional!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-11
This devotional is worth your money and effort to purchase. It tells each day what happened in church history on the day you are reading.

There is a lesson to be learned from the past. This devotional is not based on Scripture. So, it is not the standard devotional. Make sure you know that before buying.

It is a real jewel for church history buffs!

thought provoking
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-04
I received this book as a Christmas gift from my brother. I was so impressed with it that I bought three (from Amazon) for each of my grown children. They now use it as a daily devotional. very interesting and educational. I have learned alot about the origins of my faith.

Daily Delight
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-21
I continue to be inspired and delighted to read the stories of Christian men and women who are part of the multitude of witnesses to the life of faith. The 366 biographical/historical sketches are extremely well written and thought provoking. My wife and I use it as part of our morning devotional time.

Amazing Glimpses of How God Has Worked All Through History
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
This book offers something you won't get out of just about any other devotional: it gives you glimpses into how God has worked through the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people all throughout history. Most devotionals give you good thoughts or introduce you to some significant people, but this book will give you a broad introduction to scores and scores of Christians throughout the ages and how their lives reflected God's plan. If you ever thought that God wasn't doing much with you, reading the stories in this book will remind you that God's plans often unfold over the long term, and that He uses unexpected people in order to do great things.

The Rustens have an entry for each date, but they don't just give you a little snapshot of an event; they give you an overview of the life and achievements of the person involved - all in two pages! These stories are helpful reminders that the Kingdom of Heaven is worked out little by little through many different people who simply did what the Bible taught them to do and who listened to God. This is far from a "trivia" book. Instead of dry facts, you'll get a great introduction to lots of wonderful Christians whose stories you might not know, and you'll get to see how God worked through even their most painful and discouraging times in order to bring about great blessings and spread the light of Christ to others.

The best part is that the Rustens have put a lot of effort into telling the stories well. Although you will pick up a lot of knowledge about people, places, and events, the entries are interesting to read even for those who don't want to try to remember a bunch of facts. I had trouble keeping myself to one entry a day! But for those who want a source for information, you'll be glad to know that footnotes and sources have been provided.

Inspiring "His"-story
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-16
What a remarkable and inspiring book this is on some of the historic events of Christianity and of Christians, both famous ones and not-so-famous ones! I read this book daily in 2007 and was inspired each and every day to continue to stand for what is good and right in this world. We bought this "textbook" of Christian history for my husband's parents for Christmas, and they are already enjoying it and being blessed by it. I should not be, but I am, amazed every time such evil and unjustice is done to those who call on the Name of Jesus ~ I should not be, because He told us in His Word that we WOULD be persecuted. This book helps me to know I can stand strong just as those others before me did, even those who ended up in martyrdom. It's an amazing "read" ~ be blessed by it.

O
The Reiki Sourcebook
Published in Paperback by O Books (2004-01-25)
Authors: Bronwen Stiene and Frans Stiene
List price: $19.95
New price: $12.50
Used price: $10.30

Average review score:

The Reiki Sourcebook
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-21
A book loaded with great & useful information. A lot of research has been undertaken on the history of Reiki & presented in this book. It is very interesting to see the difference in traditional Japanese Reiki & what is in the West today. I find this book to be an excellent reference. Thanks go out to the authors.

Must Have For the Reiki Student!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-15
Even though I was already a Reiki Master when I read this book, I learned some wonderful things! A well thought out book of history and details (I especially love the early section with illustrations covering the order of strokes for writing in Japanese characters) that will help Reiki students of all levels. I never want to stop developing with Reiki and this book certainly furthered my education! Well done and many thanks!!!!

The Reiki Sourcebook
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-23
Since beginning my journey into Reiki, I have come to realize that although the actual act of doing Reiki is easy (anyone can do it), that if you really want to delve into the practice you have to go searching for answers. Along the way, I have come across a number of very good resources and have developed some favorite authors, persons who I expect quality research that informs me about various Reiki subjects while also presenting their information in a way that will actually help me grow as a person, as a practitioner, and as a Reiki Master. Quite a tall order, indeed.

Bronwen and Frans Stiene are at the top of this list. Their work is consistently well-informed. I also find their topics quite interesting. More importantly, I find it easy to translate what I read in their books directly to my own growth and purposes.

The Reiki Sourcebook is a great general resource that should be on every Reiki practitioner's bookshelf. Topics explored range from basic information and the history of Reiki through courses and an explanation of the complexity of lineages to specific Japanese and Western Reiki techniques.



Definitely a great book!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-13
Very impressed with The Reiki Source Book. This book discusses the original Reiki. It is a well balanced presentation that brought forth many of Usui's original intentions of being a spiritual path as well as a method of healing. It did an excellent job of presenting the paths of Reiki that had developed over time. Quite an eye opener. All paths are presented with respect and balance. This book had wonderful explanations that help the reader gain a new perspective.


Excellent Resource on Reiki
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-19
Bronwen and Frans Stiene wrote an intriguing work entitled "The Reiki Sourcebook," which consist roughly 350 pages and four parts and appendices. The authors did a wonderful research into the history of Reiki as well the Western and Japanese Reiki techniques. Not only that, they also discerned and discussed the difference between traditional (Usui Method) and non-traditional knowledge of Reiki, and touched upon the origins of each.

I found this book to be strongly resourceful and insightful on the subject of Reiki. Personally, I had never taken a Reiki class and only heard of the term in passing. I came upon this book as both curiosity and of possible interest in pursuing this teaching. Of this book, I found it to be strongly helpful for a beginner of Reiki or just someone (such as myself) who seek to know more about the Reiki system.

This book is well worth the effort and worth the read as it is literally packed with information on the subject, and I found it to be quite informative.

O
The Shorebird Guide
Published in Paperback by Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd (2007-07-13)
Authors: Kevin Karlson, Michael O'Brien, and Richard Crossley
List price:
Used price: $58.06

Average review score:

A Testament To The Progression Of Bird Identification
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-03
Over the past few years an avant-garde style of bird identification has arisen. The classic "Peterson Identification Method" (much revered by bird lovers, instrumental in the formation of birding itself, and still highly useful), which stresses the importance of unique "field marks" is slowly ceding to a new holistic approach (also known as GISS: General Impression of Shape and Size).

This guide is at the forefront of that movement, along with Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion, and should be on the shelf of any birder who wishes to improve his or her identification skills. Novice birders often wonder at the mastery of experts who can identify birds far away immediately without raising their binoculars; such ability can only come with experience, but this book offers valuable insight into that esoteric ability.

The Shorebird Guide
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-28
This is the Bird ID book that can stay on the coffee table. Pages and pages of wonderful pictures of shorebirds make up the front section of the book. Let me be quick to point out if you are looking for gulls or terns they will not be in this book. This is a book about the small brownish birds ( sometimes called Peeps) that can be seen on our shores. Sanderlings, sandpipers, Godwitts, Dunlin, and our rapidly declining Red Knots are the subjects of this book. If you want to know shore birds this is the book.

Peterson's The Shorebird Guide
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-23
This book was extremely helpful for identifying shorebirds. It shows them on the ground close up, in flight and in flocks. Detailed descriptions of status, taxonomy, behavior, migration, molt and vocalizations. Photography is excellent. If you live on or near water and need a guide, this is the one!

Amazing!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-30
I bought this book for my uncle who LOVES bird watching and he is amazed with this book! It offers a lot of information many other books don't. I highly recommend purchasing this for the bird lover! :)

The Definitive Guide to ShoreBirds
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-29
Of all of the information available that involves Shorebirds, this book is equal to none. It provides the most organized and complete understanding of the complicated life cycles of these birds. The photograpy is excellent not only in its quality but also in its visualizations of the different life cycles. The book advances how we look upon these types of birds by drawing refined attention to their life cycles and their ecosystems. This is a must have for all birders libraries.


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