Vision Books

I have read Pope Benedict's work with great peace and satisfaction. Here is a man who has surely lived through reasons - solid ones - for not being joyful. But he has found the secret in his faith and in his way of life. And that is good enough for me.

This book is a short, concise, and artfully prepared introduction to Christian theological anthropology. It's worth reading, honestly.

As a devout Christmas-a-holic I found these stories in turn inspiring, inventive, and moving. The authors love of God,family, people, and life glows through his child/adult viewpoint and depth of holiday feelings. The "flights" between fantasy and reality truly "unwrap Christmas" love!

I thought this book was really good. I think it's really good for someone who needs to go to the eye doctor, but is afraid to go. I also think this book is good for someone who likes Rugrats and has just begun to read on their own!

Lovett Weems of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, provides for pastors and other church leaders many valuable thoughts on one of his life passions-leadership within the local congregation. This reader has found "Church Leadership" to be an excellent resource; it is both broad and theoretical while paying close attention to practical details; it encourages the pastor to grow personally while paying close attention to the cultural realities of the faith community; it summarizes the work of many others in the field, even while it presents these ideas in a relevant, unique way.

The purpose of "Church Leadership" is "...that pastors and other church leaders will come to see that effective leadership is not only compatible with the faithful ministry, it is also essential to the fulfillment of the calling of God to which we have responded." (35). To that end, he begins by examining the concept of leadership. Like beauty and art, leadership cannot be sufficiently described nor can it be reduced to a mathematical formula, but one knows it when he sees it. We can observe various traits that seem to accompany leadership (it is often spiritual, chaotic, funny, etc.) but these things are not leadership itself. Rather than attempt to define and formulate leadership, Weems presents what leadership is not: it should not be confused with style, nor management, nor administration. Nevertheless even while the definition of leadership is difficult to grasp, Weems believes that four elements are essential for a church leader to develop: Vision, Team, Culture, and Integrity.

The main section of the book treats these four vital areas of effective pastoral leadership: the proper creation and maintenance of a mission/Vision; Team-building; the analysis of and leadership role in Culture; and the concept of personal (and group) Integrity. As mentioned above, each section is not only hands-on and practical, but it also presents the theories behind these areas. The prose is highly readable and filled with useful quotes and examples.

In all, while at times this reader felt overwhelmed by all the information and numerous "things to keep in mind" as I serve in my leadership role, the book is also highly optimistic. The end result is that I feel challenged, find myself holding a greater respect for the leadership role in a church, and better prepared to lead a congregation as a result of this book. Highly recommended for all those in church leadership positions.

This book is by far the best VT book I've ever read. It doesn't include the behavioral aspects, but it gives you both the cause of the problem, the diagnosis, and the solution in an easy to read format.

Elliott's slim volume encompasses the entire gamut of procedures making up the optometric eye examination. Descriptions, examples, diagrams, and charts are clear and eminently understandable. This book should have a place in the working library of every optometry student and clinical preceptor.

This is a wonderful book to have on hand. Any good ophthalmologist, optician and orthoptist must have this book on hand to refer to daily.

While this is by new means a new volume, it stands the test of time as a guide of participatory leadership.

As a teacher, I like the way this biography begins with Colin Powell's crowning achievement, becoming the Secretary of State under President George W. Bush. The author then flashes back to Colin Powell's childhood and we get to read how he made it to this very important position in our country.

This is an inspiring story of a son born to immigrant parents who came to the United States seeking a better life. Education was important in his family and Colin Powell entered City College in New York City as an engineering major. It was through trying different courses (ROTC) that Colin Powell found his calling.

There are certain features of this book that I really like. Ms. Shichtman has these side boxes (colored in a deep yellow) that give historical background information of what was happening in the world at different times in Colin Powell's life. With these boxes the reader can then understand the influence of Segregation, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, etc. had on Mr. Powell's life and his achievements. The author also has green boxes that contain quotes from Colin Powell that help define his life. The photographs were of Mr. Powell at various points of his life and there are also photographs of historical interest. The Chronology of Colin Powell's life at the back of the book gives a nice summary of his life.

I would recommend this book not only for young people studying about famous African Americans, but anyone wanting to learn about famous Americans.