Other The Books

This is my first foray into N.T. Wright's literary discipleship. This is good written stimulus that will lead you to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. This collection of Eucharistic sermons expands from the passion of Christ to the revelation of the Father's plan for true discipleship. The language is easy to read and Dean Wright uses great words and pharases to lead us further along. N.T. Wright has become one of my must read theologians.

This book, though brief, contains a treasure chest of Wright's knowledge on the life and significance of Jesus. In "Following Jesus", Wright seeks to answer the question, "Who exactly is this Jesus that we claim to follow?"

With the thought that many Christians might not know exactly who Jesus is, due to years of watered down religion, Wright uses different books of the Bible, along with personal scholarship, to extract who Jesus was and what that means to those who follow him.

A phenomenal read. Extremely enlightening and refreshing.

This is my first time reading N.T. Wright's books, though I've read an essay and heard him speak. This is an unbelievable book. The first half of the book walks through the New Testament and describes each author's view of Jesus and what it looks like to follow Him. The second half seems to walk through some of the major issues of discipleship and what it actually looks like to follow Jesus. I loved it and will go back to it again and again.

For years I'd scoffed at Bishop N.T. Wright thinking him a backward-looking, anti-intellectual Christian with nothing to say to the contemporary world. I was wrong. And I'm glad to say this book started it all.

After reading several books on revisionist views of Jesus, I've concluded (very, very reluctantly) that the Jesus presented in "Following Jesus" is the only Jesus really worth following. Here Wright gives us a glimpse of the Jesus of the gospels, a Jesus who is the Savior of the World, a Jesus who makes huge demands on our lives and calls us to follow Him to Calvary. This Jesus tells us disturbing things about ourselves, the world, and how both are in need of repair. The good news, as Wright points out, is that G-d has begun to recreate the world through Jesus of Nazareth. In this short book of sermons, Wright shows the new creation appearing by looking at Jesus' teaching, his healings and, perhaps most of all, his resurrection. The new creation has already begun, yet it will fully arrive in the Age to Come.

This book set my heart aflame for the Christian hope. Although the world suffers and humans fail in love (again and again), there is a G-d who raises the dead, a fact that--when it's internalized--gives life its proper focus.

Thank you, Bishop Wright, for this powerful little book.

Tom Wright, Anglican bishop in England, once again elucidates in a cogent but thoroughly readable style that only he can what it means to follow Jesus. If one is a sometime Christian who does not want to 'count the cost' of what it means to 'be Jesus' to a hurting world, you'd better avoid this book. In a world full of evangelists who promise 'what's in it for us' if we follow Jesus, Tom Wright challenges us to really take up the cross and follow the Lord. As a Southern Baptist, I can't think of another theologian, of whatever denomination, that is more challenging and encouraging than Tom Wright. Buy it, but be prepared to keep your marker handy.

Initially I borrowed this book from a friend and read it at bedtime. The short chapters are perfect for a quick read at bedtime, while waiting at the doctor, etc. Phillip Gulley is fabulous at taking the "normalcy" of life and applying Biblical principles to deepen the experience. His humor causes me to laugh out loud repeatedly. This is a fun and fresh way to look at the Eccelesiastes text. After devouring my friend's copy, I purchased this one to share with my dad. He is loving it as well!

Philip Gulley uses the words of Ecclesiastes, "For everything there is a season", as a springboard for essays on life. He happens to live in the small town of Danville, Indiana, where he grew up, so his stories have to do with the people and customs of his small town. Gulley is a Quaker pastor who holds to traditional values and the sovereignty of God, but this doesn't hinder his sly wit or wry observations on the absurdities of modern-day life. His choices of stories range from the addition of a screen door to his home under "A Time to Build" to a list of his prejudices and pet peeves under "A Time to Gather Stones Together". This is a good book to read a bit at a time as each chapter stands alone. It's also a good way to escape from stress and to get a laugh and a new perspective on life.

I was given a copy of this book by my sister, Mrs. Fruits, who is featured in the "a time to let go" chapter. I also have a signed copy. This is a wonderful book (along with Phil's others) to pick up when one needs a spiritual "pick me up". I have circulated these delightful books through the membership of my Episcopal church and have incorporated some of his stories into sermons. I am a Hoosier from Hendricks County who now lives in Washington State and it is often a nostalgic trip for me when I travel the roads and streets of Indiana in Phil's books. But anyone could benefit from these stories about every day people dealing with every day life.

This is an excellent book, as are all of Philip Gulley's. They are "feel good" books, and I enjoy them all. Although this particular book is not a story evolving around the local townspeople, as are many of his, it is still an inspiring read. I hope Mr. Gulley continues to crank out his particular type of humor/inspiration for years to come!

What a great book about the sweet simple side of life. It made me want to move to the author's small town and settle in with my family. I have enjoyed everything I have read so far by this author.

This is easily my favorite Classic work of literature. Unlike many of the other classics, such as the Odyssey, Iliad, Aeneid, and others, this book kept my attention the entire time and I couldn't wait to finish. Robert Graves does a tremendous job of translating it into an easily readable version.

book includes the original story of Cupid (Pysche). perfect gift for lovers possessing a sash of intelligence.

Apuleius' The Golden Ass, or Metamorphoses, is the only Latin novel to survive in its entirety. Composed in the second century, this picaresque work tells the tale of Lucius, a man whose curiosity in magic and indulgence of sexual pleasures leads him to accidently transform himself into an ass. What follows are the various trials and hardships he endures as well as the tales he hears throughout his travels. It is not until the intervention of the goddess Isis that Lucius is transformed back into a man, and he devotes the rest of his life to her cult.

Apuleius' storytelling is lively, witty, an often sexually explicit. Indeed, many forms of fetish are showcased within the pages, including beastiality. More often than not, the novel indulges readers in their guilty curiosities while also providing hilarious and adventurous prose, with a splash of red-streaked violence thrown in for good measure. However, despite being written nearly two-thousand years ago, what may shock the modern reader most is how approachable and familiar is not only the humor but also the sentiments and sensuality of these Roman characters. It is not difficult to imagine Lucius' world.

The Golden Ass offers readers a romp through ancient Rome through the eyes of a contemporary while also entertaining. It is also a highly revealing documentation of religion and magical belief in Greco-Roman polytheism, and contains the only complete description of the initiation into a Mystery cult. The true essence of the novel is that it is a fable culminating in the religious transformation of the individual and the embrace of salvation (soteria). However, the pagan salvation was not one of the afterlife, but of this life, and involved changing one's perspective of the world and also of life and death. The ass in the ancient world was seen as the most base of animals, an utter slave to its desires, and Lucius' transformation at the end should be read as symbolizing his overcoming of those passions.

The Golden Ass is bawdy and shocking, but also intelligent and satisfying. Graves' translation is fluid and easy to follow. The prose is as enjoyable (and perhaps rewarding) to read today as it no doubt was nearly two-millennia ago.

Everyone should read The Golden Ass, especially this translation. Just reading it can deepen a person. It's one of those books to be treasured and re-read every few years, finding new insights and humor. The Cupid and Psyche portion is rousing and sly and stands alone. I've given copies as gifts over the years and notice my friends still hang on to them long after.

This is certainly an entertaining reading experience and Robert Grave's translation makes this 1800 year old novel come to life for modern audiences. The book is full of stories within stories, a device that I found very entertaining and reminded me of the best works of A.S. Byatt. The story within a story approach allowed for multiple wild digressions of the most fantastic types. Stories of magic, murder, rape, incest, poison, bribery, theives, beastiality, orgies, homosexuality, and all other manner of hair-raising encounters populate the multiple stories within stories.

Yet there is certainly a strong central theme and storyline in the plight of poor Lucius, the attorney turned into a donkey. The world and humanity are seen anew through the eyes of an ass.

The book does take one major departure with the longer story of Cupid and Psyche, skillfully told. The book ends with another change of pace when Lucius devotes himself to the gods, especially the goddess Isis/Diana/Artemis, the White Goddess.

I think the book was excellent and would never have survived so many centuries if each age did not find the human condition to be much unchanged despite the wild and wooly tales encountered here.

Every so often I would go through several NT books in Greek as a discipline and this volume will be my constant guide. If you don't have it get it. It is worth the buy.

A very helpful and handy companion to the Greek New Testament. Not only it locates the conjugations of every verb in the Greek NT, it also serves as a grammatical commentary where applicable. You must own one if you are serious in studying the New Testament.

This book is a great tool for intermediate Greek students. It parses and defines unfamiliar forms and words and provides helpful syntactical comments.

This is simply a must for the student of intermediate Greek (i.e., one who has just completed his introductory grammar). Here's why I say this:

This is the ideal tool for learning NT Greek through induction. I love studying grammar deductively, that is, studying the principles and rules (a priori), but the average person will find that deductive study isn't quite enough. Even with examples, the rules tend to get lost in the heap. One needs also to gather up particular instances of the manifestations of those Greek rules of grammar as he goes in a real text (a posteriori) in order for the principles and rules to really take root (IMHO). Here's where 'the Jesuit' comes in.

As you read the NT you will encounter--invariably--forms you can't parse and words whose definitions you have not yet memorized. While having a lexicon handy, and consulting it liberally, also consult Zerwick's Grammatical Analysis and you will identify the word and its parsing. He will then possibly refer you to a section from his companion book (which you must get) called Biblical Greek (ISBN 8876535543), and it will tell you what the deductive intermediate grammars have also told you, but quickly and succinctly. By studying an intermediate grammar plus this book you wind up with a double whammy of inductive/deductive study!!

I have, in fact, only one criticism of this publication: it is not physically user-friendly. One cannot open it up and lay it out next to one's Greek NT. It's kind of laborious, putting down, picking up, putting down, picking up, when you're basically just doing the same one or two pages of text in a sitting. And it is just a little guy. When you get it you'll be like, "Oh, it's dinky!" It's real thick, though--like a little red brick of goodness. It's covered in thin red plastic for a cover, which may reduce its longevity if you're not careful. But, whatever. Get it!

Yes, in case you're asking yourself, this and the "Biblical Greek" mentioned above are indeed two of those things that are 'must-buys' for the student of Greek, imo. These, plus the BDAG lexicon (3d ed.) and Wallace's "Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics" are the bare minimum for the Greek student. Everything else is just gravy. But what do I know.

Note- Don't fret (if you are so inclined) about the fact that this is issued by Rome and that the scholar is a Jesuit. As a Roman Catholic turned Calvinist, I can tell you that it is my impression that Zerwick goes where he believes the Greek points, period. He's a true scholar, rip.

This book provides a verse by verse analysis of the Greek NT. Greek words are printed in Greek letters throughout, flowed by a short (one word) definition and partial parsings. There is also coding to Biblical Greek's . So if you get one book, it would be best to get the other as well.

The information is helpful but hard to follow. There is just too much information packed in, with lots of abbreviations and notations that have to be remembered. And as with Zerwick's "Biblical Greek," this is an advanced exposition. Beginners will get lost in it. A similar but easier to follow resource is Fritz Rienecker' s New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, The.

I only rarely referred to either of these volumes as I was working on my Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT). So I cannot really recommend either. I just think there are easier to use resources available. I present a full list of all of the resources I consulted in working on the ALT in my Companion Volume to the Analytical-Literal Translation: Third Edition, with asterisks indicating the ones I found most helpful.

It should also be noted that Zerwick's theological orientation is Catholic. This can be seen in his attempt to get around the clear meaning of Matt 1:25, where it says of Joseph and Mary, "and he was not knowing her [fig., was not having sexual relations with her] until she gave birth to her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus" (ALT3). The natural reading of this is that after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary began having sex like any normal married couple. This is then confirmed by Jesus having four brothers and at least two sisters (Matt 13:55,56).

But Zerwick comments, "... until (the time when) but not excluding the continuation of action beyond the time indicated; author only concerned here to indicate virginal conception."

Notice that Zerwick does not give any examples of when "until" (Gr., eos ou) does not exclude the continuation of the action. But compare the other places where this Greek phrase occurs in Matthew: 13:33; 14:22; 17:9; 18:30,34; 26:36. In all six of these verses this phrase does exclude the continuation of the action after the time period indicated.

To be clear, this means the phrase indicates a change in behavior after the time period indicated. So in Matt 13:33, the woman mixes yeast into flour; but once it is thoroughly mixed, she stops mixing. Here, Joseph was not having sex with Mary; but once Jesus was born, he began having sex with her.

The meaning of the Greek phraseology is clear, but Zerwick is allowing his pre-conceived theology, not Greek word studies, to color his comments. This is yet another reason I cannot recommend this book.

I have some real mixed feelings about this book. On the one hands I really like how Mr. Whyte used such unconventional ways to get his point across (he uses poetry to point out the flaws in the corporate world), but on the other hand, a lot of the points in the book made me scratch my head and go 'huh?!'.
The material is very deep and even where there is supposed to be just a small, simple message, Whyte seems to make it complicated so that the meaning looks to be more profound.

How much of our corporate productivity is impeded by pettiness and posturing in the workplace? Seems a corporate healer like David Whyte is needed to stand for finding and reminding folks of a different bottom line.

Whyte has a unique capacity to make powerful connections between the inner core that fills us with emotion and caring and the places we do our work, sometimes even at the place where our job is located, though not often. His observation that we leave as much as 55% of our true self "in the car" each day when we go in our office to work is so powerfully true. I dare say there are few among us who cannot relate to that feeling. And yet, it is the 55% of ourselves that the company we work for really wants and needs but rarely gets. Unfortunately because of the patriarchal environments that many organizations (not always corporations or even private sector businesses) create we all too often find no real fulfillment in the workplace. That is sad because I never have read any mission statements that pronounce "We ABSOLUTELY are not going to have fun or like one another around here." That makes me think that the realized, oppressives outcome are not intentional. However, we often find ourselves working in and hating very dysfunctional cultures, even if not by design. Whyte introduces the concept of hope in a effort to replace the all-too-present doubt and hegemony of the workplace. We may not be able to express ourselves freely at work but Whyte allows us some freedom to dream of that possibility during our reading of this book.

Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! If you have a soul, buy this book. If you are not sure....buy this book. This book is an excellent exploration into the meaning of life + my job the incubus = a poetic awakening. David Whyte is a wonderful philosopher.

David Whyte writes in a truly inspiring way. When I worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium many of us read this book as we struggled to grow better as an organization. This book was the catalyst to many personal "AH HA!" moments. Not just for me, but for many of my colleagues as well. From there I found myself in love with poetry again too. David's poetry is powerful and meaningful. The heart aroused is your own, and worth coming back to.

I love to read the Bible and own more than 30 different translations of the Bible. I also know Greek and Hebrews (having a degree on Biblical Study from Fuller Theological Seminary) so I compared the translations from various versions. Recovery Version is one of the best translations.

Recovery Version also provides many outstanding outlines for each book and footnotes for verse understanding. The outlines help me to understand the thought of the writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The footnotes explain the verses according to the other verses from the Bible and comprise the riches from Bible lovers/seekers during the past 20 centuries. It saves me a lot of time and leads me into the riches of God's word immediately.

I had the New Testament Recovery Version for years, so I was happy when Living Stream Ministry published the Holy Bible and I am now even more pleased that they have published the Holy Bible with footnotes. The footnotes unlock the deep significance and rich enjoyment in many passages in the Word. The Recovery Version with the footnotes has been incalculably helpful. In regards to the translation without the footnotes, I give it 5 stars because the Bible is the most influential and profound book I've ever read and this translation is clear and accurate.

The Holy Bible recovery version is nothing like the New Testament recovery version. There is no interpretation under verses like in the New Testament version. I was disapointed and returned the book.

The more I learn Greek and Hebrew, the more I read bible versions in different languages, the more I am convinced this is the very best version ever! Not only in terms of dinamic/formal equivalence balance. Also in terms of considering the Bible as a whole, as the work of one only and the same author! The outlines show a unique understanding of the bible's unity, hardly ever before shown by scholars who study it book by book, making in practice the Holy Spirit's authorship nothing more than a theoretical Systematic Theology construct. The outlines and footnotes(on the edition with footnotes) show an understanding of the revelation and a uniformity in principles of interpretation far above the Reformed/Non-reformed/Orthodox, Calvinism/Arminianism, Trinitarianism/Unitarianism, and other usual so-called stalemates of organized Christendom. It is the Bible for the centered christian and student who looks far above the divisionism of the Body of Christ. When I write this, I am but simply checking with the whole of Christian scholarship.

Although not a part of this denomination's movement, I used this version throughout Seminary training, and it continues to be my staple in all my studies and discussions. It is both accurate to the original tongues and easy to read. Many misinterpretations and invalid arguements are handled simply by using this text (since many other English versions use a dynamic equivalent approach to interpretation that lends them to inaccuraces). Unlike those of Witness Lee's cult, I found the omissions of his comments a blessing since Mr. Lee filters much Eastern Mysticism into his explanations. Still a great version which you will use more and more as you study more deeply into the Scriptures.

Infidelity is a life altering event for most people and can be a horrible thing to try and find reconcilation with. This book offers insight into the many different aspects of it. It can't change the situation for the people who are the dealing with this issue but it does help to answer some of the millions of questions that plaque the minds of those afflicted by this most heartbreaking event. It is certainly worth the time it takes to read.

This book is truly a "How to" on getting through what may well be the worst time in your life. It is written in plain language and offers advice on other reading and selecting a therapist, if you feel that you need one. No one expects to find themselve in this situation and this is a great guide to help you deal with the pain and move forward.

I thought this book was a tremendous resource in helping me better understand my perspectives on my relationship. It provides valuable information that helps the reader develop language for positive communication, and also offers insight that can be helpful in trying to understand your mate's feelings and motivations. It helped me organize my thoughts and gave me the vocabulary to clearly define my emotions, my expectations, and my situation. I would recommend this book to anyone who has had an affair, who has considered an affair, and especially to any individual whose mate has had an affair.

This book lays out a very tough subject in an approachable way. I felt much better after reading this guide. As the recently betrayed I was looking for so many answers, and this book pointed me in the right direction. My cheating spouse also found this a helpful, "easy" read.

This is a brief and succinct book on the subject of infidelity. While much of the material is addressed to couples experiencing marital difficulties, the counsel and advice provided is helpful to unmarried couples in long term relationships also. Too often, the term "infidelity" is used as a polite euphemism for adultery. While infidelity can include adultery, a more narrow term which has both legal and moral implications, infidelity is really a much broader concept that relates to betrayal, disloyalty and faithlessness. Infidelity is all about breaching trust. As Lusterman correctly observes, while adultery always involves illicit sexual activities in violation of marital vows for at least one of the parties in the triangle, infidelity can encompass even purely emotional affairs that do not necessarily include sexual intimacy in all instances. Someone who maintains that a long time confidant is just "a good friend" may very well be involved in infidelity nonetheless by violating the exclusivity of another relationship with an innocent third person. One may be engaged in infidelity through dishonesty and unfaithfulness alone. Since communication is a key element to the success of any meaningful relationship, constant lying or omitting to speak the truth often rises to the level of infidelity. While many couples are able to rehabilitate their relationships by renewing communications after an episode of infidelity is exposed and improve themselves in the process, Lusterman warns that such recoveries are impossible with offending individuals who fail to admit their faults despite evidence to the contrary and who refuse to express any remorse for the harm that their actions have caused to others. The best one can do in these instances is to admit the obvious and move forward. Lusterman has a doctoral degree and a lengthy career record as a therapist. This concise book addresses the pain and shock that often accompanies the discovery of infidelity, often after lengthy periods of suspicion, and methods for coping with the hurt and recovering a sense of one's own self esteem. In an era in which many people rely upon the Internet to maintain regular communications and in which long distance relationships are increasingly common as a result, one needs to be prepared. Bad things sometimes do happen to good people. Lusterman's book is a valuable reference tool. It may even serve to promote a sense of healing for some people who have been victims of infidelity and allow them to forgive those who committed the acts of infidelity.

Journey of the Heart has been all I hoped it would be. The message in the book gives hope, not through wishful thinking, but through confronting destructive patterns. What is hopeful is that the message gives one hope in reclaiming a relationship or at least making you better at how to relate. The book is not lightweight, but it is personal and reaches to where we humans struggle and sheds light and gives guidance. If you are serious about being better at relating, this book is serious about helping.

Item was received with other purchased item, thus I received it in a reasonable amount of time. Book was like new!

This is an excellent book that challenges you to risk being intimate with yourself and your part. Welwood's observations are keen insightful, but delivered in a manner that is respectful to his readers. What I got most from this book was reading and reflecting on all of my relationships and the intimacy I allowed for myself as well as how open I am to others. I definitely recommend this as a book to read to help you appreciate the deeper layers of passion that a relationship can provide.

This is one of the most profound books I have ever read. I first read the book some ten years ago and at the time I recall thinking "Why didn't I know this information?". Within this book you will learn how to establishing a healthy connection with another. This is a must have book. How I wish I had such insights when I was young.

I have read this book several times and never cease to come away with a new understanding. It has depth, compassion and useful information for moving through some of the modern relationship dilemmas that cause so many of us suffering.

John Welwood is a Ph.D. psychotherapist with a deep knowledge of world religions, especially Buddhism. He also has a lot of life experience and has written many books on a variety of topics including other relationship books.

One of the things I most like about this book is the author's ability to apply both modern psychological thought and Eastern philosophical wisdom to modern day problems. He does this in an easy to read fashion with a compassionate tone. He does not come across as omniscient, but rather as a fellow traveler on the relationship path of spiritual growth.

I believe relationships are probably the best or at least one of the best self-growth paths anyone could ever follow. John Welwood shows us how to hold them as such in this marvelously insightful book.

I also recommend his book called "Toward a Psychology of Awakening." This book is subtitled "Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation." This would make a nice accompaniment to the book above, but the content is heavier and so is the style. However, it is packed with great information and it represents some of John Welwood's best writing.

I particularly like Welwood's insights on "spiritual bypassing" or escaping our psychological and emotional work by overly emphasizing the transcendent and dismissing the wisdom of embodied experience. I'm sure glad a guy who is writing relationship books holds this point of view because as anyone knows who has been in a committed relationship, there are lots of important ingredients to a good relationship beyond the spiritual considerations. The phenomenon of spiritual bypassing is explored very directly in "Toward a Psychology of Awakening."

This cookbook is THE BEST of a number of kids' cookbooks I've looked at.
Why?

1. The clear instructions: Each and every recipe includes an illustration showing ALL of the ingredients and tools you'll need to make the recipe -- down to the cup of water, the fork, the zip-loc bag (for crushing cornflakes), the cutting board, and for many recipes, the "grown-up assistant with knife". (Applesauce, for some reason, requires an assistant with a "sharp knife", a more stringent requirement than the other recipes.) No more "oops I don't have that" halfway through the recipe. The instructions are very clear, showing how to do things -- how to use the spatula, how to roll up the dough, how to spoon muffin batter into the muffin tins. The instructions teach. Instead of saying "melt butter" one recipe tells you to melt the butter on low, explaining that butter is easy to burn. A soup recipe advises to add a little bit of water if the soup seems too thick. (Many cookbooks would assume one knows these things.) The book doesn't pander, but it doesn't take much for granted.

2. The Rules: The book starts out with Kitchen Rules. It talks about how the kitchen is a "very special room" and lays out ground rules -- Be careful, be clean, Be ready & Measuring. The discussion on why it is important to clean as you go is great --

3. The Kid Focus: Language is really directed to children; it puts the kid in charge by saying things like "Your grown-up assistant and you shoud talk about every recipe before you start it" and "Stoves are hot places . . . always a good place to use some grown-up help." The accompanying picture is of grown man wearing a "Helper" apron and holding a knife, reacy to help.

4. The Recipes: Nice variety, with breakfast items (Buried Treasure Muffins, Four Ways to Cook Eggs) Lunches (Personal Pizza, Happle Bagle Sandwich), Dinners (Alphabetter Soup, Ready Spaghetti, Tuna Wiggle), Desserts (Frozen Bananoids, Disgustingly Rich Brownies), and even bonus recipes for play dough, face paint, soap bubbles, and dog biscuits. These aren't nutritional powerhouses, just basic good food.

5. Illustrations: Very cute. Lots of animals doing things; great facial expressions, particularly on the various grown-up assistants.

6. The format: The book is spiral-bound, so it lies flat. The pages are cardboard and can be wiped clean. That alone makes this a stand-out among kids' cookbooks.

Initially, I was a little hesitant to buy this book because many of the reviews seemed to be written by folks who had this book as a kid. I was comcerned that the book might not seem current. I bought one anyway, for a gift (along with a Molly Katzen cookbook for kids) and have since purchased several more. Nostalgia aside, this book really has withstood the test of time. For a book copyrighted more than 20 years ago, it seems completely up-to-date in 2008.

Highly recommended -- don't think you'll go wrong.

My sister received this cookbook when she was little and it has the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in it. When my sister moved, she took the book with her and I wanted to get a copy for myself. When I received the book, I made a batch of cookies and the memories of when I was younger came flooding back to me. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages. Also, the playdough recipe is easy and fun too.

My son (6 years old) and I love this easy and fun cook book. We have been trying for the recipes every weekend.

This was the first cookbook I had recieved myself as a child. The ingredients are illustrated in a very clear appealing way. Even the measurements are illustrated which makes it very friendly for a child just attempting to cook. I gave this book to my neices and will pass on my copy to my boys, who are a little to young at this time. A great first cookbook. I'm glad to see it is still being published 20 years after I first recieved it.

I love to cook, and for years my little boy has wanted to help me out in the kitchen. Unfortunately, most of my recipes exist only in my brain so it was very hard for him to lend a hand.

This book, which I purchased only hoping to find one or two recipes we'd like, has turned him into an independent little chef in his own right. The instructions are very well-written, the safety precautions are clear and the foods themselves are all kid-pleasers. Well, let me rephrase that: they are all family-pleasers. We've made every one in the book and they've all been big hits.

He's quite proud of owning his own measuring spoon set, too. My only complaint is that the gold-colored paint used to label each spoon's measurements wore off quickly. That was easily solved by going over the raised letters with a permanent marker, though.

Fantastic book: a great gift for any kid!

Very dissapointed. The goatskin eddition for less money is sooooo much nicer. No comparison! Now I must return this item.

I have had this KJV Concord Wide Margin Reference Edition for 4 years. It has held up beautifully--indeed it still looks virtually brand new (and I have used and written extensive notes in this Bible). Here's what I like about this Bible:
1. The Calfskin leather covering. This leather has held up unbelievably--as if it is still brand new.
2. The clarity of the font. Even though the font is somewhat small, it's bold font is crystal clear (and my eyes are not very good).
3. I love the fact that there is so much space in the margins for writing notes. And not just on each side, but the top and bottom of each page has plenty of room as well.
4. I also love the fact that bleed-through is not a problem. I use bold pens and multi-colored high-lighters, and yet none of them bleed through. Awesome.

The main plus is the fact that I've had this Bible for 4 years. And it still is in prime condition (and I have used this Bible very heavily).

If you are looking for a quality King James Bible, one that has plenty of room for your own notes, one that holds up even after heavy useage...well, this is the Bible for you. I love it and feel confident that this Bible will be in great shape 20 years down the road.

This was just the bible I Have been searching for. FJV, wide margin, marginal references, and extra pages for my own notes. This was the only KJV that offered everything I needed, along with superior quality.

This is a beautiful, very high quality Bible. I have nothing to add to the other reviews that praise this Bible beyond saying that while I very much prefer the King James Version, I do wish that those who claim it is the only valid English translation would get a copy of this Bible and read the Translators' Letter to the Reader -- it is a very fine, nearly 400-year-old refutation of the KJV-only crowd's arguments. Also, I am over 40 and wish that Cambridge would make a text or a Concord version with a font somewhere between the 10 pt they call "large print" and the 22/24 pt "giant print" -- somewhere between 12.5 and 18 pt would be nice. Still, this is a very readable Bible, and the center column references are very good. Spend the money -- it's worth it.

Excellent, beautiful, quality bible and workmanship. A treasure. Sturdy and well made, type is easy to read. The paper is sturdy and you can write notes in the wide margins without worrying about the ink passing through or indentations being made in the pages. The binding is also sturdy. This bible has a wonderful leather smell. With care it will last many years. Amazon has it at an excellent price.

I have to agree with the previous poster who said the Letter from the Translators to the Readers is good to have. It is definitely a solid refutation to the KJV only crowd. I myself prefer the KJV and NKJV because they are taken from the accurate manuscripts. However, I am saddened by KJV only defenders who either deny or just don't know the history of their own English Bible. While the KJV is the only pure preserved English bible today (Hebrew and Greek meanings and pure manuscripts), we would probably not have it were it not for the Geneva and Tyndale bibles that preceded it, as well as several other English bibles. Men literally gave (lost) their lives for daring to translate God's word into the English common man's language, as Tyndale put it: so that the plowman would have his own bible in his very own language. The Geneva was the preferred bible for 100 years before the KJV was commissioned by King James to be chained to Anglican pulpits and become the only version used. The Geneva was one of over four bibles used by the 50 KJV translators (Textually the KJV is 95% Geneva bible text). The KJV-only stance that began under the King caused a stir among the Puritans who loved their protestant Geneva bible (they knew the KJV was not considered a protestant bible), and this prompted them to sail to America in search of religious freedom. They brought with them their Geneva bibles and that was the first main bible used in early America, until early Congress declared the KJV to be widely utilized in government and by our founding fathers. The KJV at the time it was translated and published was another update of the previous English bibles as English had changed and adapted between the time of the Anglo-Saxons to Wycliff to Tyndale to King James. Updating English words as English changes, such as in the New King James, is not a sin as long as meaning has not been changed or taken from. Most don't know that the original KJV 1611 had 80 books in it (the 14 extra were the Apocrypha) until 1881 when the 14 extra books of the Apocrypha were removed. KJV-only often say that the bible they hold in their hands today is the 1611 Authorzed version, but what they don't know is that the KJV underwent at least 7 revisions between 1611 and 1881. And they don't realize that if they did really have a 1611 AV their bibles would have the original English spellings of 1611, such as "f" used in place of "s" in certain words, "l" instead of "j" in certain words, as well as totally different spellings of certain words that changed between Tyndale's time and the 1800s. The original 1611 AV spelled Jesus as "Iefus." Pretty hard to read that way, eh? That's why the KJV was updated spelling-wise over the next 2 centuries after 1611, because such spelling of words changed and began to resemble closer to how we spell today. The NKJV is the same KJV bible with certain archaic words replaced with words of the same meaning that we use today. Such as the word "commodius" in the KJV in Acts has been updated to "suitable" in the NKJV. If one looks up the word commodius in most dictionaries and reads the archaic usage of the word they will find that the definition given is the same meaning that the NKJV has updated the text with. God transcends language with his holy word and God did not speak King James English any more than He spoke Chinese, but His spirit is able to adapt His word and meaning into many languages as long as the translators are being faithful to the true, exact meaning. To change His meaning is to add to or take away from His word. The updated NKJV has not changed meaning, but instead has updated certain English words just as the KJV translators updated certain out of date words and spellings from the previous English bibles. So, when a KJV-only person yells at you for reading your NKJV direct him to some English bible history and welcome him to make himself more well-rounded on information.

For those who love the poetic beauty of the KJV and want it in a bible that will last and that has great quality, this Cambridge bible will not disappoint you. Plenty of room to write notes on the outter and bottom margins.

It helps to learn the history behind something you believe in.