Ethics Books

A wonderful, wise book brimming with Toltec wisdom and practical examples. I have read it more than once and given it as a gift to friends (who always borrow my copy).

This was a pivotal book for me. Upon reading this clear, funny, beautifully written text, I went from being a casual "spiritual surfer" to jumping in with both feet! I literally could not put it down, and when I finally finished it, I decided to apprentice with Sheri, who is an amazing teacher. I have never looked back as my life has gotten better and better. I have immense gratitude for this book and highly recommend it to others with a wish that they might have the same experience.

Dr. Rosenthal explains the Toltec path quite eloquently and leaves little room for possible misinterpretation!

I am in the middle of this book, and despite my reservations about the title, it's really a great resource. I've loved Don Miguel Ruiz's writings for years, and Ms Rosenthal, the author, is one of his students. Highly recommended.

As a "left-brained" sort of person on a spiritual quest, I have found books by don Miguel Ruiz and others to be vastly inspiring, but also frustratingly short of definitions, history, and structured calls to action. Sheri Rosenthal's book addresses all these issues in a precise yet profound way - extending the work of earlier Toltec Masters while providing structured step-by-step guidance for the rest of us.

This box of cards caught my attention while shopping at Barnes and Noble. I bought it and have been enjoying it with my kids for the last 4 months. It has not only helped us to communicate more, but my kids look forward to sitting down at meals as a family to see what question we'll all talk about. This has also encouraged us to talk about our highs and lows of each day which my 6yr old especially loves. I have been divorced for a year now and vowed to make changes with my kids and come up with a way for us to communicate more as a family. "Food For Thought" was an answer to my prayers. I was so happy with this product that I ordered 4 through Amazon and gave them as gifts at Christmas. In our fast paced world that seems to be getting faster, this is a wonderful way to slow down in order to "smell the roses" or better yet, hear your small child talk about his/her feelings for the first time. Enjoy!

I bought this for my family who enjoys hours of good conversation but it is hard to keep the topics new. This product comes neatly in a nice box and the cards are beautifully done with illustrations. Kids and adults can answer these questions. One that was in there that I use almost daily now is "What was the high and low point of your day?" I gave it four stars because I feel some of the questions are a little generic. But having the box on the kitchen table is a conversation starter all by itself when people come over. Overall it made a nice gift for my family.

What an excellent way to bring up important subjects.
This product encourages families to share their values with one another and interact at a deeper level during dinner. We love it! Our daughter, who's almost 5, asks to pick the card every time. Even though, some of the questions are too old for her now she still loves it.

We played this at the dinner table on Thanksgiving. We enjoyed it so much that we were still at table when it was time to break up around 11:30 pm.

I'm learning things about my kids and husband that I would have never guessed. I would highly recommend these conversation cards as a way to learn more about each other in a fun and interesting way. My kids love it!

I read a lot about the Michael Jackson case and most of the time, everything written about it is superficial and redundant: reporters repeating the same lines over and over without thiking about it. I was pretty convinced about Michael's guilt. With the information broadcasted by the media, all pointed out to that conclusion. I was naive to think that we were well informed. This book, to my surprise, brings up new facts that were brought in the trial, facts that, you would think, everybody should know. As I read the lines, I just couldn't believe it! How come nobody mentionned it? To prevent from revealing interesting details from the book, I won't divulge it here, but I can say that now: Michael Jackson won that trial because facts proved his innocence.

I must say, that before I bought this book I was a little apprehensive. A media person commenting on the case. I figured it would just be another book bashing MJ. Much to my surprise the book gave a non-biased point of view of the actual occurances inside that courtroom. I have watched and read the cases in many criminal trials. NEVER have I seen the media, law enforcement, the D.A., and such an immoral, resprehensible group of people (the Arvizos), go to such lengths to destroy another person all for the sake of money.
What was done to Michael Jackson I would never wish on my worst enemy. I was so sad and so angry at the lies that were being told. At how this family tricked their way into his home, how they ransacked his home, and how they grifted money from several celebrities. What hurt me the most was that his mother had to sit through every vile detail that was made about his personal life and alleged relationship with the Arvizo boy. After reading this book, you will understand why the jury found MJ NOT GUILTY on all criminal and misdemeanor charges.
I must commend Aphrodite Jones for having the courage to write this book. Everyone in the media shunned her and refused to publish it. They only wanted to hear the negative. They didn't care about the real facts. Remember Ms. Jones is one of those media people who was "out to get Michael Jackson" also. But after sitting through the trial, and listening to the testimony she had a change of heart. What you saw on CourtTV was a biased, slanted point of view. After reading this book, I believe many people will change their negative opinions of Michael Jackson.

Wonderful. That's the only word I can use to describe this book. If you want to know why it's wonderful, BUY IT!!! It's definitely worth the money!!

And one last thing... MICHAEL JACKSON IS 100% INNOCENT!

I trust this author. She went into the court room a full fledged believer in the accusations and left dumb found. A few years later wrote this book.
Mr. Jackson is an easy target for indictments. He wears more make-up than the Avon lady and he dresses like Captain Crunch. He is not your average "Joe".
I don't know for sure that he didn't do these terrible things. Nobody does really except for him-- and of course the accusers.
What I do know, is he has been very loving to those who know him well and to those who don't, and enormously generous giving over 300 million dollars to charities around the world.
Lets face it your gonna believe what you wanna believe. But if you are really in search of the truth behind all the speculations and sensationalisms that have surrounded this famous case pick this up. My heart broke for him, and yours will too.

A book to own for an MJ fan, it is full of anecdotes and it tells the truth with reliable sources: the woman who attended the trial herself!! It's a mine of information, really worth your money.

This compact volume is a compilation of realistic and ethical insights about the foibles of human relations. Just reading a few entries at a sitting offers thoughtful and encouraging tools in our dealings with one another.

THIS BOOK IS WORTH FIVE TIMES THE COST. THE AUTHOR NAILED THE HUMAN SPIRIT ON THE HEAD. FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS AND YOU WILL LEARN THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE EGO CENTERED, ILLOGICAL AND GREEDY. LESSONS THAT HAVE TAKEN ME DECADES TO LEARN.

The book contains 300 field-tested behavioral rules for an honorable and successful life. The credibility this Jesuit needs in order to tell us how to live comes from his instant truth and usefulness. Most of the maxims have the urgent clarity of tough times, but some show you how to enjoy your adventures best. His perspective is balanced and subtle.

When you use this experiential knowledge you deliberately err on the side of caution, graduating to reality faster than your peers. All of life is covered. Some maxims are explanations on character and common sense, while others advise on how to deal with people. For example, he tells us to keep matters in suspense and to be skilled in conversation. You essentially learn how not to screw up in a complex world without fairy tale endings.

A few readers will say that this "prudent" Spaniard from the 17th century is outdated, and I agree that nowadays you could survive without him. But then don't complain when your superficial person is ignored, your illusions are painfully shattered and former friends leave you in the mud. You could have saved the day if you had only listened!

This knowledge was hard won, like gold, by a reflective man who's life's work was to tell you how not to be a fool. If the advice was bad, this book would have gone out of print a few centuries ago.

Throughout the years, I've read various philosophers and grasped their differant ideologies. I haven't read too much of Gracian. After reading the Art of Wordly Wisdom as traslated by Maurer, I feel as though I've been deprived of this great Philosopher. I wish I had read more of Gracian's work earlier on. This book details various compilations of conduct and thinking. It truly is a gem. It is a Highly recommended book.

This is a beautifully produced book, and on the whole the translation is at least satisfactory, and frequently elegant in its own right. But the oracle's original train of thought within each half-page aphorism (probably hard enough to follow in the original Spanish) often becomes totally unintelligable in translation.

Perhaps annotations would have helped, but without either the original Spanish or any notes to refer to one sometimes has to simply give up trying to understand the gist, and move on to the next aphorism.

Overall it's a rewarding read, and certainly a book to keep at hand and dip into again and again, but also somewhat frustrating. This is not the ultimate translation.

I've got a couple dozen vegan-oriented books and this is one of the best. Succinct, cogent, smart, well-researched. A lot of books don't give enough hard facts or go deeply enough into their information. This one does both. Particularly great guidance for activists--which I consider any ethical vegan to be just by virtue of being 'the vegan in the room.'

I almost didn't read this book, and I am SO glad that I did! This is a great book for all those eager to make an impact on animal welfare. This book provides strong arguments for taking an active interest in animal welfare, especially the meat industry which lies at the root of an overwhelming majority of the animal suffering in this world. All arguments are supported with well documented facts. Most importantly, Meat Market inspires innovative ideas and directs readers to important resources for turning thoughts and beliefs into action. From evaluating leafleting and writing letters to editors to working with school lunch programs, Erik Marcus provides information about how to take action through many unexpected venues and careers.

I highly recommend this book as an innovative guide to activism!

Liked it. Not as ground breaking as Marcus' previous work on "Vegan the new ethics of eating", but worth reading.

"Just as slavery was once America's most pressing human rights violation, there can be no doubt that the effort to eliminate cruelty to animals should focus on agriculture. Animal agriculture accounts for more than 97 percent of animals killed by humans in the United States. Farmed animals therefore deserve priority, and arguments made on their behalf should not be weakened by lumping in rhetoric pertaining to hunting, medical research, or companion animals."

So argues Erik Marcus with impeccable logic in Meat Market: Animals, Ethics & Money. This concise, well-researched, and thoughtful book is divided into four sections:

Animal Agriculture -- The first part of the book covers some very familiar ground but does so succinctly and with the occasionally provocative perspective of someone who is willing to prioritize in an honest, objective way. This is no angry screed with unjustifiable or exaggerated claims. (In fact, the entire book embodies an admonishment against such counterproductive approaches.) Marcus is almost detached in his delivery thus making his presentation even more powerful.

Dismantlement -- The heart of the book covers Marcus' vision for how an activist's time, energy and money could best be spent. I won't go into detail here but this is great stuff.

Activist Essays -- I felt these were largely a waste of space and time. Perhaps other readers could find something useful or inspiring here but I did not.

Appendices -- The best appendices you will ever read in any book. Seriously. Marcus separated these essays from the main text in order not to distract from his message but there is some terrific stuff here especially Appendix B where he provides a rational counterargument to the popular beef production water use claims.

Some additional quotes from the book which I hope are provocative enough to arouse your interest:

Organic dairies and free-range egg farms never seem to volunteer the fact that they rely on killing every bit as much as their factory farm counterparts...

While suffering will always be part of animal agriculture, some of the worst cruelties can be removed at little cost. The industry could, if it chose, quickly enact the following five steps...

For many years to come, most of the dismantlement movement's efforts should be directed toward outreach. But it would be silly to neglect other attractive opportunities for action. Even with our current minimal resources, we can begin stripping away three of animal agriculture's most important assets...

[Militant activist Josh] Harper...explain[ed] why he believes that both outreach and property destruction should be used to protect animals. According to Harper, the animals benefit if the meat industry is forced to defend itself on as many fronts as possible--a coalition of militants and mainstream outreach activists would stretch the industry's resources and double its vulnerabilities. Harper's assertion seems reasonable, but a closer look reveals a flaw in its logic...

Overall, there have probably been thousands of instances in which animal testing helped diminish human suffering...

Unfortunately, the truth about water use is on the beef industry's side...

Outstanding book! Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Meat Market, not only as a refresher course on animal treatment and common farming practices, but also because I and others around me have recently engaged in discussions related to activism approaches and how to appeal to other people's nonviolent inclinations regarding their decision on what to eat. I agree with Marcus that the most prevailing concern with regard to use of animals is an ethical one and that animal protection advocates would be wise to focus their efforts and attention on eliminating an industry that kills billions per year. Due to Marcus's invaluable perspective, pensive mind, and incessant quest for facts, I believe that this book will give rise to many new ideas and collaboration within the animal rights movement. I cannot foresee any negatives of reading Meat Market, taking the information into consideration, and working towards becoming a millionaire just as Marcus; even causing others to choose not to kill one thousand animals will bring about a much-needed paradigm shift in our culture.

(As an aside, I saw mentioned that Marcus supports or believes that animal testing is justified in certain circumstances. I do not know if, outside of Meat Market, Marcus has suggested or stated the same; however, this is the location on Amazon for Meat Market book reviews. Marcus does not intimate in Meat Market any personal support for animal testing. He merely states that there probably have been instances wherein animal testing helped diminish human suffering, which is not a statement in favor or against vivisection.)

A life changing and life enhancing book. Speaks to the deeper considerations for what our right livelihood is, how it affects others, and how to discover it. I just bought it as a gift to a thoughtful young man considering what to do with his work life - now that he just finished his first job.

One of the best books I've read that describes the nature of work and the human condition. Whyte captures so beautifully the emotions I feel as an independent consultant who spent time inside some large organizations. These days I feel that need to be "part of something", and just as strongly feel the need to use my own voice and find my own way should I go back inside an organization. Whyte describes this tension of wanting to be a part and wanting to express who you are inside an organzation brilliantly. I can't imagine anyone who hasn't struggled with these fundamental questions. It was affirming to know that my conflicts with those desires are not unusual.

I don't often pick up books that threaten to be more touchy-feely than substantive, as the title of this book and its first few pages implied to me. But I read it upon the advice of a friend.

David Whyte has one foot firmly planted in the practical with the other firmly planted in the spiritural and, by the end of the book, you have an idea about how you might achieve a similar posture. One of the reasons Mr. Whyte can pull this off is because he is both a genuine artist--a poet--and has substantial experience in the nuts-and-bolts corporate world. In fact, he has billed himself and sold himself (lucratively, apparently) as a corporate poet.

"Crossing the Unknown Sea" refers to the author's life adventure in search of a career and a meaningful life. I suspect it is because of his roots in poetry that he can write as a novelist--not by virtue of plot or character development, because there is little of that other than the plot of his own life and the development of his own charachter--but because of his ability to use words to capture subtle and deep meanings without sounding as if he were trying to do just that.

I could go on. The book as been a kick-off point for my own life's adventure for which I had already been preparing. However, it is a book well worth reading for its own sake, even if you aren't in the market for a life adventure for yourself.

Each of us will likely reach a point in our professional lives when we ask ourselves what is the value of what we're doing. Some may ignore the impulse and go on with their routines with little adverse effect, while others may feel they are on the edge of a precipice with no path marked toward fulfillment. Author David Whyte, who is both a professional poet and a Fortune 500 consultant, certainly has the experience to write a book about self-discovery, and his most pervasive theme is one of pilgrimage toward our real selves. What makes Whyte's book essential reading is how he is able to translate this journey to our working lives. For many, work is a means to ward off fears of poverty, but the author illustrates how work at its best can be joyful, a "hidden trove of imaginative treasure that we hope can give us self-respect, independence and the ease we desire". At the same time, the harsh reality is that most companies deprive us of time and spaciousness and cause us to lose our creative spark, even ourselves.

Using his life as a guiding post for the reader, the author reveals many of the questions, crises, and turning points in his own search for meaningful work suited to his nature. He candidly discusses the life-changing encounters in his life, as well as the family memories and formative experiences that shaped his own psyche. More specifically, Whyte discusses his stint as a naturalist in the Galapagos Islands and the key role his ancestors have played in shaping the structure and form of his creative work. This emphasis he places upon our inheritance from those who have gone before us is probably the most inspiring message he conveys here. He cites his inspirations from William Blake's paintings, Rainer Maria Rilke's poems, and from the way poet John Keats lived his brief life. Keats believed that truly great people have the ability to accept that not everything can be resolved, that they can thrive in uncertainty. Such dependence on what Keats called the "holiness of the heart's affections" is what Whyte feels needs to be valued now.

Keats' concept of negative capability is the crux of Whyte's thesis, that one should follow one's calling and be guided by one's desires and aptitudes in spite of the uncertainty. Choosing or working at a job or career one is not suited to by nature is a mistake many make due to blinding factors like keeping up with the bills or placing emphasis on what others think. Whyte shows why and how to get back in touch with one's nature and get back on track and why it is so important for people to do so. This is not a stepwise manual toward self-fulfillment. Rather, it's a book of the author's own decisive path, and as such, certain sections of the book will be more relevant than others. Fortunately, Whyte knows firsthand what the corporate world is like and shows how he got back to writing poetry and what the costs and benefits were of doing so. Now he works in the corporate world, using his poetry self to help those who have left behind their creative, inner selves to regain them. It appears he has found the best of both worlds.

I was "moved" and inspired by this book which was a gift from a respected Executive Coach. This books assists all that want to deepen their connection to their life's work or find out what their life's work is. The author states that far too many people trudge through a mediocre work life - scrambling through day-to-day "busyness" towards exhaustion. Rather he encourages more time for self-reflection and analysis. While many most often want to get away from work - it's where many spend the majority of their time, and it's where many spend much of it wishing they were somewhere else, doing something else. Many overlook how work can actually be our greatest opportunity for discovery and growth - and author explains how. The Chapters include the following:

1) Setting out with firm persuasion
2) A stranger at the door
3) From Powerlessness to participation
4) Ambition, Horizon and Arrival
5) A short Sea Crossing
6) From Exhaustion to Wholeheartedness
7) Arrival and Authenticity
8) When the real you wants out
9) Escaping the Prison of Time and Work
10) A voyage through the hours of the day

I have read a lot of Eric and Leslie's books, but this one has to be my favorite! This is their story about how they met, becamse friends and eventually fell in love. They don't preach or say anyone has to do it this way, but their story spekes for itself. It show exaclty what can happen when you let go of what YOU want your love story to look like and LET GOD write his own and how beautiful it becomes. I have read this book at least 3 times and it never fails to move me to tears. (It also makes me laugh as well, which in my opinion is the mark of a perfect book!) In short anyone who wants a relationship with God and the oposite sex NEED to read this book!!

Very good book. It gives a look at the way marriage should be, with God first.

This is a really incredible book! I have enjoyed reading real-life love stories for a long time, but most of them were short online articles. This is a wonderful BOOK! I was so excited when I heard about it that I immediately requested it at our library.
I was a little uncomfortable with the beginning of the book, which is the reason that I gave this incredible book only four stars. I guess I'm pretty sheltered from the world --- the references to having sex/love-making and the locker-talk were just... uncomfortable for me. I enjoyed the book, though, and would recommend it to anyone! It's incredible to see the way God works in the lives of Eric and Leslie. I can't wait to find a copy of this book within my price range so that I can add it to my personal shelf!

I've shared the Ludy's book with my own three teens and with the teens of my friends. The story stands in stark opposition to what our culture teaches and gives hope and a vision of an honorable love affair that can last forever. My own children watched as friends became lovers, broke up, had babies, and were alone, or went from one tragic relationship to the next. This book showed them that it is realistic to hold out for something better and they were rewarded for doing so. Our culture needs to know there are other options and that the way to true love and happiness does not begin in the bedroom. One of the best parts of this true story is that it involves two people who went the wrong way first. This mom says, save your children's marriages before it's even an issue, get this book and give them a vision of something wonderful that's worth waiting and trusting God for.

My 15 yo daughter just finished the book. She didn't particularly want to read it, but it's a great story and once she started, she needed no more prodding. Besides providing a "vision," the story works as a "dating manual" for those committed to Jesus Christ. The reader sees how the young lovers come to fall in love, identify their feelings for one another, but manage to take the high road of abstinence and trust God that His way is truly best. When they finally marry, they've already proved their love for one another in the way they have put the other one's well-being above their own. A beautiful story for everyone.

I've made a point of avoiding Christian-aimed relationship books because so many of them are either condescending or unrealistic. But everything the Ludys have written blows that idea completely out of the water. They break the mold by being honest and open. This book is a treat to read; Eric and Leslie tell their story as if you were sitting in a living room with them. It's bold to be truthful, and it's daring to do it in our culture. I hope every young woman looking for a good romance reads this and takes it's message to heart. I wish I had read it years ago.

James W. Douglass has done a remarkable job of making it clear why and by whom John Kennedy was murdered. Mr. Douglass uses 96 pages of reference to document his account of events. Recent documents released by the U.S. Archives as well as documents released from the archives of the former Soviet Union are disclosed to us in a well written and easy to follow narrative which is gripping. It is important for every American to know how our secret government operates that not even a popular president was able to overcome.

Once begun, I could not put this book down.

I recommend this book be read by every American and be on the reading lists in all of this nation's high schools.

This is an outstanding work by James Douglass, and as one who has a library filled with books on this subject this is perhaps the best. It is well researched, extremely well written and a page turner. I will not delve too much into the contents for other reviewers have done so in very thorough manner.

I will close by saying the following....when I finnished this book I had a chill. We all know what was and is, what we don't know and never will is what might have been. I long for the day when the truth is fully divulged, those responsible for the "Unspeakable" are unmasked (it will suprise some)and Lee Harvey Oswald is fully exonerated for a crime he did not commit.

James does a fabulous job with loads of newly released information to make it very clear that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't just a patsy, but could have been a hero a few weeks earlier. If anyone doubts the CIA's hand on this, they haven't been paying attention.

JFK and the Unspeakable is a gem of a book. Due to the obfuscation of the events of that sad day in November 1963 by our own government, we may never be able to put absolute names and faces to the forces that caused the death of our 35th President. But the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming. James Douglass does a mighty fine job of painting the landscape and filling in the details of this dark period in a masterly fashion. When our own government stonewalls investigation into the killing of a president, keeping records sealed for half a century and then releasing them drip by redacted drip, is there any wonder that 75% of the population finds its intentions highly suspect? Douglass very clearly defines the motives that have shrouded this assassination discussion for so many years. And with the motive, method and opportunity of the clandestine forces to eliminate a sitting president so blatantly in place, it is a marvel of duplicity that they have painted "conspiracy theorists" into such a curious cul-de-sac. But finely written books such as Mr. Douglass's slowly prod this most obvious of viewpoints back into the mainstream of American conscience.

The disquieting question that arises after reading this book is - Where was America while this was happening? Why are we so somnolent when forces in our own government make a mockery of democracy and American ideals by killing popular peace-leaning leaders [JKF, RFK and MLK] and bringing us into war after phony war against the better judgement of reasonable people?

Where is America when the chips are down?

This reviewer raptly read Mark Lane's Rush To Judgement, Jim Garrison's On the Trail of the Assassins: My Investigation and Prosecution of the Murder of President Kennedy, and Jim Mars' Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy when they were first published. This reviewer became jaded at the fictions published by the Warren Commission and the House Select Commission on Assassinations, and like America sings in Sister GoldenHair "I got so damn depressed" that I quit reading this stuff.

Since then, even more proof has piled up against the lies our "leaders" told us. JFK was 'turning towards Peace" and the "unspeakable" evil forces aligned against him and peace didn't like it. James W. Douglas has done an excellent, Must-Read compilation of that truth, especially important now that a similair scenario could be, like Carly crooned, "Comin Around Again" with a new president ("Yes we Can!" "Change we can believe in!") bucking an evermore entrenched Military-Industrial Complex - HalliBurton et. al. - that would prefer that we stay in Iraq for the next 100 years or so.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
George Santayana 1863-1952

Buy this book for you and all your intelligent friends and relatives and read it, so that we all can be on the same proverbial "Group W' bench with Arlo Alice's Restaurant: The Massacree Revisited (30th Anniversary Edition).

/TundraVision, "Hope springs eternal," Amazon Reviewer

Get this work into your library. It is by far the most critical work on this subject you will ever read! A MUST HAVE.

This is book primarily deals with the history of the development of the Canon. It was quite interesting to read the history of various books and letters of the Old and New Testament and to realize how most Christians take for granted their acceptance as Holy Scripture. It was fascinating to discover that books like Hebrews and the Apocalypse had difficulty in finding their place in today's Bible,and why others such as the Shepher of Hermas were rejected. Reasons for the acceptance of letters and oppositions to others varied upon authorship, content, usage, and most of all inspiration.

Not surprisingly was that the need for a canon arose from the ubiquitous nature of heresies abounding in this era. Specifically one of the earliest heresies mentioned is the movement started by Marcion. Marcion's belief that solely the teachings and writings of the Apostle Paul is what made up the true faith led to the first collection of the New Testament epistles being collected together to form a body of doctrine. Later on many of the Gnostic gospels and sects were another impetus which drove the Catholic Church to canonicity of its collected documents and to determine what was to be standard for what was Apostolic and inspired.

Prof. Bruce follows the topic of canonicity into the Renaissance and the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. It was interesting to discover that with the revival of Classical Greek and Hebrew, that European theologians began to question the canonicity of the books contained in the Vulgate and the accuracy of that one-time prevalent translation. One example of how this controversy is carried over into current modern apologetics is how the Roman Catholic Church criticizes Martin Luther for questioning and suggesting that James and Hebrews be rejected from the Canon. However what Prof. Bruce points out is that for many in his day, Luther practiced what many in the church were doing in their re-examination and criticism of the canon.

Also from the Reformation is Luther's position of the Canon within Canon. Although I do not completely agree with Luther on this point, I do agree with the importance of studying Scripture with the view of placing the Gospel of Christ as the central theme of the Canon.

The closing chapters are very valuable regarding the criteria for canonicity in early church history and the criteria for the church today as well. I found especially intriguing the proposition of anyone finding one of St. Paul's lost letters to the Corinthian church and would they be added to the books of the New Testament? Please read the book to find the answer. I hope this unanswered question will entice you to read this work. However, in my review,I know that I am not doing justice in my appreciation for this book and what it has taught me.

Final Note: I would not recommend this book without some prior knowledge of the Ante-Nicene and the Nicene Church Fathers as their opinions about the canonicity are frequently presented. The reader should be familiar with the church fathers mentioned and their significance and contribution to the Christian faith in the early history of the church. Although one will benefit from the text without it, such knowledge would enhance the reader's understanding of the reasons and the importance of Prof. Bruce citing these individuals.

The book The Canon of Scripture, by F. F. Bruce, is a thorough scholarly treatment of the history of the Holy Bible as found in its present form: Old and New Testaments, 66 books constituting the authoritative writings of the Christian church. It is formal in style and thoughtful in content. It is nearly exhaustive, presenting ideas from a broad multitude of sources, yet manages to remain an engaging and fascinating read. Throughout, Bruce manages to be fair to the facts of history while remaining true to the convictions of the Christian faith.

Bruce's Canon of Scripture is the most thorough, scholarly, and readable account of the canon that I've come across. This book was recommended to me as a great place for a layperson (like myself) to read the story of how our Bible came into existence.

Bruce provides a detailed account of how Christ, the apostles, and early Church fathers interpreted and used the canon. He also discusses heretics like Marcion and soundly dismisses their claims. For Christians who trust the Bible as an inspired document, this book will be encouraging, as Bruce shows how the orthodox canon and orthodox interpretation have persisted throughout church history.

Although Bruce's prose isn't overly scholarly, his sense of story -- the way he structures this book -- is less than arresting. I found myself reading this book in chunks, skimming some sections and skipping others altogether. I imagine few people would enjoy devouring this book straight through. That said, this work is superior to a simple reference book, as Bruce provides a great deal of detail and appeals to a number of primary and secondary sources. Until a better book comes along, this one's essential for Christian households.

I bought this book because it was recommended as the most authoritative history of the New Testament canon in English. The book is scholarly and thorough. The author is an academic. The book reflects that for better and worse. The information is excellent and well documented. The writing style is often dry. It is best read in small segments.

Bill Breer

I actually didn't know quite what to expect when I picked up this book. But I found myself laughing out loud many times. And I never laugh out loud while reading a book. Dan's PETA work is merely the background to his wild and crazy life. He's never preachy, so don't let that stop you from enjoying his crazy antics. His comic timing in his writing is impeccable, and I can't recommend this book enough.

If you'd like to understand PETA a bit better, this is a good book to read. I've always had some issues with PETA, even though I'm a member myself, this sort of educated me a bit.

And Dan is pretty funny, which always makes a book fun to read.

From his early punk rocker days to carvorting with todays biggest celebrities, Dan Mathews spins a hilarious web of globe trotting adventures sprinkled with a dash a seriousness that brings light to an important subject matter; animal cruelty. From humble beginnings, success and notoriety certainly haven't changed his life long goals or sparkling personality. If you like Augusten Burroughs style of writing, grab this book and be prepared to laugh out loud. If I ever end up in a jail cell somewhere, I hope Dan is sitting next to me.

This book was simply fantastic! Funnier than David Sedaris, and a story that draws you in. You don't have to like PETA to love this book, by the way. My non-PETA friends are all enjoying it as much as I did. It's entertaining in its own right - a fabulous read. I honestly couldn't put it down. Highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

Major kudos to Dan for writing such an entertaining, honest (but not at all "in your face") and mind-shifting book about the suffering of the non-human animals that we share this planet with. I read Committed in one day. I loved it. This book proves that humor, compassion, optimism and love can change the world. If I was not a vegan before reading this book (I went vegan 5 years ago at age 37 and have never regretted it) I surely would have changed my ways after reading it.