Journals Books

ONE OF THE BEST COMBINATION DAILY DEVOTION, BIBLE STUDY AND JOURNALS I HAVE EVER USED. IT GOES BEYOND SURFACE STUFF BUT GIVES YOU ENOUGH DEPTH FOR A DAILY TIME WITH GOD. IT'S WELL WRITTEN AND CHALLENGES YOU TO TAKE ACTION EVERYDAY TO LIVE AS A JEWEL IN GOD'S CROWN. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!

A JEWEL IN HIS CROWN is a delightful study into a woman's life and her place in the royal court of God. Both the book and workbook provide an in-depth exploration of issues relevant to a woman's life at all stages and her relationships with all people.

Shirer points out that women are Royalty, and they need to look for their place in God's Court. As daughters of the King, women should put on their own crown and at once take upon the qualities of one in a royal court.

It is vital for women to claim their inheritance. If they don't' they block God's purpose for their life and insult Him by trying to be someone they are not.

Though the book or workbook can easily be used separately, together they provide a more complete tool.

The book(s) are filled with topics, which encourage women to be women, to glory in their likeness to God, and to embrace the fact they were specially fashioned by Him.

The book version includes in each chapter: a study, a prayer and a list of things to consider.

The Journal is unique. Chapter by chapter, it accompanies A JEWEL IN HIS CROWN perfectly. Questions, quotes and scriptures are designed to bring a woman's gem-like qualities to the surface, where they belong.

Shirer relates her own difficulties in relationships and then later, candidly shares the important lessons she learned from overcoming the trials.

Both books are rich with tools to bring all women into the glory of their womanhood.

Audience: A JEWELL IN HIS CROWN, the book and journal, is suitable for teens and young adult women. Older women will benefit as well, as the knowledge extracted from these books will teach women about their value as a woman, and prepare their spirits, mind and bodies for the man God has chosen for them. By doing so, and applying the principles in the book and journal, unmarried women can then enter into a married union with the fullness of grace God has provided, with the man God has selected to be their groom.

Either book, or both as a set, would be an appropriate gift to a young woman in her teens and can aid all women in their journey as God's woman.

Married and older women as well will enjoy the set and be able to deepen their understanding of their place in God's Kingdom, their place on the earth, and their place in other people's lives.

Let's face it most women have issues that often stem from a lack of self-esteem. In her first book, Priscilla Evans Shirer, does a wonderful job of reminding women they are "precious jewels" in the eyes of God. She shares stories of well-known Christian women as well as her own personal experiences. Priscilla's personal stories really touch you. While she is the daughter of noted author and speaker, Dr. Tony Evans, she lets the reader know she has a style of her own and she too has been where they have been.

There is no psychology mumbo-jumbo - just straight talk! At the end of each chapter, Priscilla provides questions to consider and a prayer that addresses the subject matter of that particular chapter. This is a must-read for women of all ages, whether married or single.

Reviewed by The GOOD GIRL Reviewers for www.goodgirlbookclubonline.com

Let's face it most women have issues that often stem from a lack of self-esteem. In her first book, Priscilla Evans Shirer, does a wonderful job of reminding women they are "precious jewels" in the eyes of God. She shares stories of well-known Christian women as well as her own personal experiences. Priscilla's personal stories really touch you. While she is the daughter of noted author and speaker, Dr. Tony Evans, she lets the reader know she has a style of her own and she too has been where they have been.

There is no psychology mumbo-jumbo - just straight talk! At the end of each chapter, Priscilla provides questions to consider and a prayer that addresses the subject matter of that particular chapter. This is a must-read for women of all ages, whether married or single.

I am at an age to have the privilege of mentoring many young women. Almost every woman I've met has dealt with low self image (very few exceptions). Shirer's book is THE BOOK I recommend. Priscilla speaks to ALL women, not to only a select group. This book challenges women to see themselves as their heavenly Father sees them. The book offers insight, hope, challenge, and makes one rethink the lie believed about SELF. If I had the power, I'd place "A Jewel in His Crown" into the hands of every woman. It's THAT life changing!

What a trip! We just moved to the South a few years ago (First Atlanta, now the Delta), and I'm wishing someone had recommended this a while back. It helps with so many things! All the contradictions, the unexplained rules, the assumptions and the wacky productions...King helps it all make sense, with great humor and flair. If you enjoy this, I also recommend Gayden Metcalfe's books: Being Dead is No Excuse (about funerals in the South) and Somebody is Going to Die if Lily Beth Doesn't Catch that Bouquet (Southern weddings, obviously). Enjoy!

This book was delivered earlier than expected. I had read the hardback copy which I lost through loaning it. The book is about southerners and for an southerner, it explains all the people I have come to know.. I know every character described in the book.

This is my second reading of this book, separated by 15 years. I fondly remembered it as an hilarious work, yet this time halfway through I realized that I, and most of my family, lurk in the pages. We Southerners have families loaded with women who "go to pieces" and men who think they still live in the Middle Ages. We have legacies of spoiled, sassy belles and proud, wounded gallants still fighting the War Between the States. Sometimes we leave Mama's house shuttered for decades because "she never wanted her things disturbed". That which would cause hardly a concern in Omaha becomes a major issue in Richmond. Although the names change the cast is the same. It's all here, and none of it is made up-each character continues to thrive by the thousands in the South. If you want to understand Southerners you cannot just eat burgoo and wine jelly with custard-Southern Ladies and Gentlemen is a must for any true aficionado of this beautiful culture.

Indispensable for both natives and transplants. Absolutely the best analysis of the Southern mindset that I have ever encountered -- I'm a native -- and a dangerously funny read to boot. Ms. King writes with a caustic wit wrapped in an ever-so-delicate velvet glove. I quote her insights often, and almost always end up having to get yet another copy to give to someone. The South really has its own flavor -- from Faulkner to Foxworthy -- and Florence King has it all neatly summed up. Everything I have read of hers so far is worthwhile.

Even after 30 odd years (yes, I really did read this back in the 1970s) this book remains very funny. It's also 'spot on' for the morals and manners of its time and place, but as a work of sociology or anthropology, some of its declarations and observations are more historical than immediate. I don't mean all of that deliciously eccentric Southernicity has vanished, but thanks to cable/satellite tv and the Internet, the "South" has become substantially more culturally homogeneous with the rest of America. And those quirks that remain have almost become national treasures. (For example, even in Ohio restaurants I'm now asked whether I want sweet tea or unsweetened. Ten years ago, there was no choice above the Mason-Dixon line: Iced tea came unsweetened and you had your choice of white, pink, or blue packaged additives.)This book captures a South not all that dear to sharecroppers or blue-collar TVA workers, but one close to the hearts of debutantes and daughters of the Confederacy. It's often hilarious reading, but don't expect this to be a complete and accurate social roadmap to the south of 2007.

this book is wonderful! an essential for any yogi. it has wonderful detailed information and good quality pictures. deals with how to do yoga when you have a headache to what helps with cancer patients. i love how this book adds a medical side to yoga. my mother is a nurse and not a fan of yoga, so having a book like this helps validate how wonderful and useful yoga is! anyone can benefit from adding yoga to their lives!!!

For someone like me that isn't into all the esoteric jargon involved in yoga, this book was perfect for me. Written by a western MD, it has practical, everyday suggestions for incorporating yoga into your daily routine. Highly recommend!

It was a nice book and was a well received gift. I read the other reviews and they were really detailed and helpful when purchasing this.

This book is perfect for Yoga teachers. It has helped me to give information to one of my students with high blood preasure. Another with knee problems. This book will give you lots of information from the medical point of view without losing the yoga. I always suggest my students to consult with their doctors since I'm not one, but also give them the additional information I find in this book for them to share it with their doctor. I'm learning a lot more about the human body through the practice of Yoga and this book is complementing every step of the way.

This book is really the complete text on how to use yoga for almost any major ailment. The author, MD Dr. McCall (also the medical editor for Yoga Journal), writes from a scientific perspective. He quotes and footnotes his volume extensively, and merges science with ancient wisdom in 568 pages.

The book opens with an overview of what yoga is and is not, discusses briefly the various forms you can follow (ashtanga, iyengar, etc), and moves quickly into the physical and mental ailments yoga has been observed to help.

Yoga models of various body types illustrate the most helpful poses for anxiety, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, IBS, MS, HIV, headaches, stress, depression, menopause, back aches, cancer, insomnia, infertility, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, arthritis and asthma.

Contraindications for each condition are provided, along with research notes, holistic approaches to treatment and tons of yoga exercise options (with black and white photos).

Quotes and passages from such well-known yoga instructors as Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden are incorporated into each section as well.

An important chapter in the back cautions practicing yogis to avoid new injuries through incorrect postural alignment and overeager stretching.

I appreciated reading the author's summary at the end about how our society could benefit from incorporating yoga therapy into mainstream medicine. I agree we should be teaching yoga in schools, to the aged in nursing homes, to the chronically ill, and in community centers everywhere. He suggests doctors and nurses themselves should practice yoga, both to lessen the stress in their professions, and also to be able to see first-hand the health benefits of yoga as both preventative and restorative medicine.

Overall, this isn't a sit-down-and-read book, although flipping through it is enjoyable. It's a fantastic reference source to keep in your yoga or medical library. Anyone can benefit from this information - we all get headaches, back aches, stress and anxiety. We all all know people with asthma or incipient heart disease who might be helped by sharing this information.

Highly recommended!

Anyone who is interested in the Civil War has to read this book. All for the Union is the diary of Elisha Hunt Rhodes and covers the four years that he spent in the Union army. Entry by entry, the reader can watch Rhodes go from an enthusiastic young man, to hard, weary soldier. Appalled by the death and destruction early in the book, by the end, laying down to sleep between the dead and dying barely justifies a comment. A wonderful read.

It isn't easy to find quality diaries written so well from the Civil War sometimes; although this book will rank with in the top 10. Popularized and quoted often in Ken Burn's Civil War series on PBS, Rhodes' book about his life as a soldier come to life. Rhodes brings the excitement and patriotic fervor of being a new recruit in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry early in the war. This patriotic spirit never dies through out his writing. Many times he writes about the daily hardships such as bad weather, sickness and death while always falling back on the duty to ones country and the saving of the union. Rhodes' duty carries him many engagements where death lingers around every corner. Battles such as Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg are just a few that this man witnessed and wrote about firsthand. Rhodes' was really an ideal soldier and loved the life. He started the war as a private and by the end of it was a colonel. Many people would benefit from reading this book be it a historian or beginner looking to further understand soldier life in the Civil War.

If you are interested in more than big names and big battles this book is well worth reading. Elisha Hunt Rhodes shares his experiences from his enlistment as a boy having never been away from home until his mustering out as a man having earned the rank of Col. He writes in an honest straight forward manner about every aspect of daily life. His strong belief in duty, sense of right and wrong and his ever important sense of humor show in everything he writes. He's an optimist that made it through the war with all these attributes intact. Thankfully for us he kept this diary so that we can understand a little more about life during the Civil War.

Whie the Army of the Potomac suffered the usual soldier hardships we also have to realize these soldiers suffered some very bad generals in comparison to the Army of the Tennessee. We see the participants sense of this in the memoir. It is best placed in the heirarchy of the Civil War memoirs it must be placed beside Sam Watkins's "Co. Aytch." High praoise indeed.

We have works on the Civil War written by generals (e.g., the memoirs of Ulysses Grant and James Longstreet) and other officers (E. P. Alexander, Moxley Sorrell). However, equally valuable is the view from the bottom, by the foot soldiers. From the Confederate side, the paradigm example is Sam Watkins, "Company Aytch". From the Union side, Elisha Hunt Rhodes fills the bill. He rose through the ranks, and his diaries and letters provide a first-hand, ground-level view of the war in the east. As the Introduction by one of his descendants notes (Page xv): "He participated in every campaign of the Army of the Potomac from Bull Run to Appomattox with rapid promotions up to the rank of colonel in 1865."

Incidents are described plainly and with an eye from the front. On pages 15 and following, he describes the march to Bull Run, the state of the troops, the weariness experienced on that march. Then, the battle itself and aftermath are described in an economical manner. Here and after, his observations of fellow soldiers and officers is most useful, giving the reader a sense of what he was perceiving.

On pages 106 and following is his description of his regiment's (2nd Rhode Island) and his corps' (VI Corps under General John Sedgwick) march to and role at Gettysburg. While the corps arrived late, its uniting with the rest of the Army of the Potomac was a great morale boost for the Union forces, as this Corps was the largest in the northern army, bringing it to full strength at this bloody conflict.

Then, his description of the bloody battle at the Wilderness, where he took the measure of Grant, after vicious fighting. In his diary on May 7th, 1864, he noted (page 138): "If we were under any other General except Grant I should expect a retreat, but Grant is not that kind of soldier, and we feel that we can trust him." In that phrase, he captures nicely the bulldog tenacity of Grant as a General, and identifying what was different from him compared with other commanders of the Army of the Potomac.

His rendering the campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, where General Phil Sheridan jousted with Jubal Early's forces is is insightful. He speaks of the classic surprise assault on the Union position while Sheridan was off consulting with Washington. The surprise attack rolled up the Union lines for a time, although the VI Corps held pretty well. His description of Sheridan's role is interesting, as his simple coda for this indicates (page 185): "Hurrah for Sheridan!"

And, finally, these lines (page 221): "Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth, good will to men! Thank God Lee has surrendered and the war will end soon." Thus, his response at Appomattox Court House.

As with Sam Watkins' observations, so, too, with Rhodes'. These observers provide a valuable and insightful perspective on the war from the ground level. Well recommended for those interested in the soldier's view of the Civil War.

This is a must do for anyone who is adopting, it was easy and full of great ideas. Thank you

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

We are in the process of adopting a child from Kazakhstan, so I bought this book to help us collect information and memories for making a lifebook. While the text is a bit haphazard- information is often repeated and the topics seem to jump around - I would still recommend the book. It has given me a new perspective on how to talk to our child's caregivers and which tidbits of information or mementos to look for while we are in Kazakhstan. It also has sample lifebook pages, which will be a wonderful guide when I sit down with our child to make her lifebook.

This is such a great book. Wonderful ideas for adopted children internationally or domestic, children of any age, foster kids. She covers everyone. She does a fantastic job sharing and guiding. This would truly be a treasure to a child. Easy read and quite enjoyable as well. Wonderful tips and ideas!!

This book is wonderful. It gives step by step directions on how to start a life book. It explains what it is and why they are good for the adopted child. I highly reccommend this book to all adoptive parents!

This book gives practical ideas, with examples to follow broken down into a user-friendly format for those of us who are journaling-challanged!

One of the funniest books I've read, even for a bit of a hypochondriac like myself. FULL of the most fear-inducing information that one shouldn't take on board- like the chapter on ordinary body quirks that could meant the most catastrophic of illnesses. Particularly amusing (for me) was the chapter where the author interviews a Proctologist. Hilarious, with insane little footnotes, and illustrations. Be prepared for a rather sobering finale. Great book.

Despite the macabre subject matter, this is a hilarious book. I laughed out loud many, many times. And while it may, indeed, feed a true hypochondriac's neurosis, it can also show just how obnoxiously far you can take it. I will admit that even I (not so much a hypochondriac) took a few of the `tests' presented in the book. I evidently have about a half-dozen serious medical conditions...

If you like Dave Barry, you'll like this book.

Warning... this is not for the paranoid, for those that read every bad bio-terrorisim book out there then wonder if they've contracted Ebola, or for those who call emergency when they've stubbed their toe thinking it's fleah eating cancer....
Great book full of witty looks at all the medical disasters that can kill ya...
It is well written, funny, well organised and lends itself to reading to friends and relatives who enjoy combining a lack of medical background with pure paranoia. Keep a copy around for flu season...

Several laugh out loud moments. Weingarten's newspaper column is funnier than this book. I love the column. The book isn't bad.

If you truly want to sample Weingarten at his best read his column.

Gene Weingarten used to be Dave Barry's editor at The Miami Herald. Enough said.

This product arrived as pictured and described. I bought it thinking it would put a little fun into my day, but it's just too much for me. I felt kind of silly taking it out of my purse around the professionals I work with. However, this is still a good product for anybody who doesn't mind looking a little.. er.. young at heart. Just think about whether it is something you would actually use, because I ended up not using it. =[

At first i kinda had my doubts about this planner cuz i wanted something different but this seemed way too out there for me. But i bought it figuring if i dont like it i can send it back. This planner is great!!! i agree with the other reviews that it doesnt have enough pages, but for the bargain price i bought 3 and just transferred the pages over....this is a great gift for yourself or ur girlfriends.

I bought one of these for each of my daughters (19 and 30)- this is just too funny... it is a great organizer- for school or work. And it has attitude!

i have had at least 4 of this and i have bough at least one as a gift , i love it , only wish you could get refills i always by a new book , but other than that i will continue to purchase this item

This is a really cute planner, it's very girly but it doesn't have a lot of room for appointments! Other than that it does have a lot of writing room for notes and other things.

The Food Journal of Lewis and Clark is a remarkable book, part history text and part cook book. The author outlines the trail and some of the main events that the members of the expedition experienced. This information is illustrated with maps and fully annotated with references. Within this information, the author includes food lists and notations that show the types of food that the crew actually ate while making their trek. This information is then used to deduce the types of meals and even the actual recipes that might have been used.

I think that this publication is a fabulous idea that allows people to actually experience a little piece of history. It is one thing to read about new and interesting aspects of history but it is quite another to actually create a dish or a meal in order to actually experience what life might have been like for these individuals. It is no wonder that this book has won all sorts of awards: Winner of the Midwest Independent Publishers Association Book Achievement Awards, 2004 Independent Publisher's Outstanding Book of the Year, and the Benjamin Franklin Award.

This book is one of the finest I have seen in a long time. It is a beautiful book - finely organized and elegantly presented. The unique feature of this book is that it not only presents recipes that the Voyage of Discovery used, it also places them in historical context. This is a truly fascinating book and an outstanding value.

We have introduced this book to our Cub Scout Pack and our Boy Scout Troop. It has turned out to be a hit with the boys. They really enjoy trying the different recipes and are excited about reading the history that accompanies their choices. In other words, they are learning and do not realize it because of the fun and enjoyment they are experiencing. That alone should speak volumes about this book.

Much more than a cookbook, Gunderson's book is a history lesson, sharing the words and thoughts of Lewis and Clark and how they managed their journey without the cooking conveniences we depend on today. The recipes are intriguing and easy-to-read and the journal entries make the book come alive. What a wonderful way to learn about Lewis and Clark - through cooking!

This book's a gem, both history-wise and food-wise (I have another Lewis & Clark cookbook, it pales in comparison on both counts). The history is woven throughout the book in easy-to-swallow bits and bites. The recipes are very do-able, easy even, in home kitchens. I expected some 'weird' ingredients but there are none. Definitely a recommendation for cooks along the Expedition route but interesting for lots of folks, I think.

As a teacher of U.S. history with a special emphasis on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, I would highly recommend Mary Gunderson's "The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark". One of the most interesting aspects of U.S. history is the type of food eaten by our ancestors. This wonderful book not only shows us what the Corps of Discovery ate, but also how they prepared and enjoyed their meals. Two hundred years later American students are making these meals and learning that this expedition wouldn't have made it without this great food.

I bought this with high hopes after reading the reviews. I was hoping it would be something I could give to my daughter when she was older. However, some of the questions (such as "how are you feeling about your postpartum body?" or something like that) are things that I wouldn't want her to read. Also, questions are very redundant from week to week. It's difficult to write on the left side of this book due to the spiral binding - a 3-ring binder would be better where we could remove pages, write, and then put them back. I also found it difficult to respond to some questions and on others, I ran out of room too soon. It just wasn't a good fit for me - I stopped using it after 2 months and am much happier with a more traditional baby book!

I received this 3 years ago and wasn't sure if I liked it. Yes, some of the questions seem redundant... But! Your child changes that fast! This week, he loves peas! Next week, he hates them! It seems minor, but it's so much fun to look back and remember the little things that could have been lost to amnesia-due-to-sleep-deprivation. This was a great way to record the joys of baby- and mother-hood.

Since then, I've bought this for every new parent, and keep a couple on hand for baby gifts. Be sure to point out that there is a special area in the back for special events (holidays, etc.) I didn't have time to pore through it the first time, and almost missed it. Also, this could be really special if presented with a special toy or blanket or something that they can be pictured with each month to measure their development.

I have just purchased my sixth copy of this book for another friend. I received this book as a gift when I had my son and bought another for myself for the birth of my daughter and have given the book as a gift 5 times! It's easy to complete - walking you through every stage and first year event. It makes me reflect on things I may not remember if I was free journaling. And I love that I have my son's book to look back on and compare my daughter's growth to. The book is quality and the binding makes it easy to leave the book open to the week you are on. A must for any new mom!

My son is now two years old and having some developmental issues. During our screening process I was asked a lot of questions about his development as a baby, things no mother would ever be able to pull out of her head. Having such a well written journal that asked so many good questions was monumental in helping the professionals assess my sons past and current situation. Thank you Ms. Nelson for putting pen to page and providing this tool for me and my son. It not only helps me remember that first precious year, it is also helping us get a sense of where my son has been and where he is headed!

While I realize this is a type of "journal", I ended up wishing I hadn't purchased this item or had supplemented it with another standard baby book. There are no pages for the baby's firsts so I ended up putting them at the end of the book in the blank pages section but didn't think to start doing it until my son was 9 weeks old. There is a lot of repitition in the book as well, such as asking every week "What is your baby's sleeping schedule?", "Describe a typical day for you and your baby", or "What have you done for yourself this week?" I ended up leaving so many items blank because the answers didn't change on a weekly basis. Other things I ended up putting in the weekly "notes" section only to find it touched upon a few weeks later - Example: "Have you used a babysitter yet?" "Has your baby been sick yet?". Again, I realize this is a journal but I think the format is a bit odd and I see myself filling out less and less as time passes. The idea behind the book is good and the book itself is nice so I am giving it 3 stars.

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.