References Books

Unbelievably inspiring. I challenge you to compare his reading with any one else's or your own in your head. He makes it alive. Not perfect, mind you. You'll find yourself suggesting to him in certain spots that he missed the meaning by putting some emphasis or other on the wrong words. Nevertheless, you know you couldn't do better overall. A real treasure.

Great for a long drive or while driving cross town in Manhattan. You can debate the issues of suffering with Milton in your head.

Sure do wish it were the whole work.

First off, let me say that we're not talking here about the famous Qi gong instructor named John Milton. We're talking about the famous 17th-century English poet who wrote _Paradise Lost_ and _Paradise Regained_, two of the most wonderfully overlong Christian poems in the history of Western literature.

Your English teacher will tell you that _Paradise Lost_ "narrates the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience, explains how and why it happened, and places the story within the larger context of Satan's rebellion and Jesus' resurrection." And you know that can't be far wrong, because SparkNotes says the exact same thing.

But the main reason everyone should read Milton's grand epic is that it contains certain secrets about prayer.

In PL, Milton reminds us how important it is, when we pray, to be absolutely specific. The Lord has a strange, often disturbing, sense of humour (PL, books I-XII). If you leave Him wiggle room, He will answer your prayer in a way you never intended, and then say it was your own damned fault, because your prayer contained seven types of ambiguity.

John Milton writes from experience. Example: Almost every time a good-looking woman passed within view of John Milton, he suffered an involuntary erection. Daniel of the Old Testament might well have suffered such a condition without complaining, but John Milton found it onerous. John was both a Puritan and a student of Saint Augustine. He was not happy when he suffered an erection, he hated it, and he especially resented the women who made that thing happen to him.

In a Latin letter to his friend, George Wither, John Milton reports that, in his youth, he would sometimes see a pretty woman even in his dreams at night, and suffer, not just an erection, but the whole nine yards, up to and including a nocturnal emission; which he trained himself to handle according to Scripture, thereby to purify himself (Deut. 23:10); but sometimes he was unable to wait that long before he handled it, which filled his soul full of Puritan remorse and self-reproach.

At age 33, the poet took to wife a 16-year-old lolita named Mary Powell; and you may already have guessed the reason why, which is that she gave him an erection -- more accurately, she gave him "one damned erection after another," without remission. (Giving John Milton an erection was not the girl's conscious intent, but it just happened to him, every time they met.) And since Christian marriage is Saint Paul's only approved method whereby to deal with that kind of torment, John Milton (being an honourable man) thought it best to marry the girl (1 Cor. 7:9).

Frailty, thy name is woman! After two years of marriage - after just two years of witnessing those insufferable erections that could not be beaten down, or at least, not for long - the poet's young Puritan bride ran away and skipped back home to live with her mother, Mrs. Anne Powell, who likewise gave John an erection; which is why John Milton resented his mother-in-law as well as his estranged wife.

Those were the hardest years of the poet's life - nothing but a daily struggle against involuntary erections, yet here he was, trapped in a loveless marriage to a barely pubescent teenager who lived with her entirely-too-attractive mother. Which is partly why John Milton wrote those four revolutionary Christian pamphlets, correcting Moses' and Jesus' hardline policy on divorce (Mark 10:11-12).

In his Latin correspondence, some of which is preserved in the Bodleian Library, John Milton reports that he was fine when alone in his study, or when hobnobbing with Parliamentarians, or even when having a hasty pudding, or a figgy one, over at the Inns of Court; but let just one good-looker cross his path, showing good ankle between the hem of her dress and the top of her shoe, and it was boing! - instant erection, just like a spring-loaded mechanical device; causing John to exclaim bitterly, "Oh, God, please, not again! Save me from this penal fire!"

It even happened to him once when Oliver Cromwell's wife, Elizabeth Bourchier Cromwell, bent over to pick up a handkerchief that had fallen to the floor. On that occasion there was a lamentable accident ("an hard mishap" [verbatim quote]) with John's ordinarily modest codpiece - an incident so humiliating that John never even wrote a poem about it, although he did apologise, profusely, to Oliver Cromwell, and to Mrs. Cromwell, who saw the whole thing, and then fainted. (John at the time was employed as Cromwell's Latin secretary.)

By the way: It was modesty, not arrogance, that moved John Milton, after that embarrassing incident, to wear a baggy codpiece, with plenty of wiggle room.

Which brings me back to the beginning, when I was explaining why you should give the Lord no wiggle room when you pray: John Milton took his problem to the Lord in prayer, stating in his journal, "Father, I pray Thee, let me not suffer a stiffe joynt when I see a beautifull woman."

And here's how the Lord answered that prayer, in 1651: He struck John Milton blind.

At first, John thought that his blindness was a punishment for his own bad behaviour - which is how that whole thing got going, in Anglo-American Christianity, about how, if you are a boy who does what John Milton used to do, it could make you go blind. But God revealed to John, by means of a dream, that his blindness was actually an answer to his own prayers ¬- because the poet had said, "Father, let me not suffer a stiff joint when I see a beautiful woman."

John Milton then said, "Lord, that is not what I meant, at all" - but it was too late to change the outcome, because the prayer was already answered.

The erections that John Milton suffered in the years 1651-1674, and there were many, even after the Lord answered his prayer, were not from seeing a beautiful woman, it was actually because John had a condition that modern physicians call PSAS ("Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome"). So the chronic "stiffe joynt" problem was not really the women's fault, and it never was; but John Milton never knew that. Even when he wrote Paradise Lost (by dictation, from 1652-1667), John was still under the impression that women, seen or unseen, were to blame for his condition; which is why he makes all of those snide remarks in blank verse about your mother, Eve, in Books IV-V and IX-X of Paradise Lost. Because whenever he pictured Eve in his mind's eye, it was boing! - the same old problem. And there would come no more blank verse to his head for the next twenty minutes or so, until things settled down. John Milton hated that.

But it all turned out for the best: if God had not answered John Milton's prayer in that unusual way, by blinding him, Paradise Lost might never have been completed, and sold to the publisher, Sam Simmons, in 1667, for £5 - which was a tidy sum for a religious poem during the decadent Restoration era.

It was while writing the early books of Paradise Lost that John was introduced to Katherine, a ship captain's daughter, a fat woman whom he had never seen (because he was blind); whom he nonetheless married in 1656, but not for the same old reason as before: John asked fat Kate to marry him (a.) because he needed secretarial assistance with Paradise Lost, and (b.) because Katherine did not have the same pernicious effect on him as Mary Powell and her mother Anne had done. John could dictate blank verse to Kate all night long without feeling so much as a tingle down there.

Kate's surname was Woodcock. Beelzebub made a little joke about that: he said, "The Lord finally gave John Milton just what he always wanted."

- L.

My review is of the library binding edition released by Buccaneer Books. It is a very plain and small volume which is wonderfully bound. It contains nothing but the poem itself (including the prose arguments) with the original spelling and punctuation. That means no notes, commentary, or introduction, so if you're looking for lots of in-text help, this isn't what you want. The Fowler, Hughes, or Norton editions are all laden with helpful material like that. But if you just want to experience Milton's masterpiece alone, this is a lovely edition. I found that the book could be purchased much more cheaply if I ordered directly from the publisher's website.

Milton in Paradise Lost unfurls a morning star banner heralding the cosmic story of the fall of angels and men in language eminently civil. I am sure that Homer and Dante were Milton's schoolmasters yet Milton almost exceeds them in the slendid language and poetry of this epic creation. Philip Pullman said "No one, not even Shakespeare, surpasses Milton in his command of the sound, the music, the weight and taste and texture of English words". This is a poem of majesty and sublime lyricism as in Milton's description of Mulciber falling:
"from Morn
To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve,
A Summer's day; and with the setting Sun
Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star".
Each book of Paradise Lost is introduced with an argument, or summary. These arguments were written by Milton and added because early readers had requested a guide to the poem. Milton's purpose in this masterpiece is to tell about the fall of man and justify God's ways to man. When the angels battle in heaven at one point they pull up mountains and hills and throw them at each other: "So Hills amid the Air encounterd Hills Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire, That under ground, they fought in dismal shade." After their coup attempt in heaven Satan and the other rebel angels are lying stunned on a lake of fire. Satan rises from the lake and makes his way to the shore. He calls the other angels to do the same, and they assemble by and above the lake. Satan tells them that all is not lost and tries to cheer his followers. Led by Mammon and Mulciber, the fallen angels build their capital and palace Pandemonium. They decide to get at God through his new creation and Satan sets off on this mission. In reading Paradise Lost the poem reads the reader while being read. What I mean is that Milton lets his readers go awry in their affections and he corrects and instructs those misreadings as well as anticipates them. In this way the poem becomes a live text with meaning apprehended through the interplay between the peruser of the poem and the text itself. Milton allows the reader to subjectively question the justice of the current religious paradigm and then leads them back to the perspicacity of deity. Ultimately Paradise Lost is Milton's paean to a vast pattern in the universe, the disruption of that pattern by rebels, and the weaving of those rebellion threads back into an ever more beautiful tapestry.

This is a wide margin version of the most excellent Concord edition from Cambridge. In addition to having generous and proportionally sized margines this bible is also printed on a somewhat thicker and better paper than the "regular" Concord. The font, though about 10% smaller than in Concord is still extremely legible and clear - a pleasure to read. Center column reference system in this edition is excellent and much easier to use than center column references found in other bibles. The goat skin binding is great too. If you are looking for a quality KJV wide margin bible and can afford the price - look no further.

Breathtaking! This is the first bible I have ever owned that somewhat does justice to the beauty of God's word and I have been a Christian for close to 30 years. I have owned a Thompson chain reference bible in Premium calfskin leather and it in no way can rival this edition. I have to say it brought tears to my eyes to finally own a Bible that imparts a sense of grandeur.

I am so pleased. I noticed the slightest imperfection (not even really) where the beautiful supple leather wraps around the front cover's corner edge but it only serves to accentuate the beauty of this edition even more.

Cambridge should be commended for honoring God's word, by presenting it in a style worthy to carry the inscription . . , "HOLY BIBLE"

I am not a huge KJV fan,but this particular Bible is the best made of any I have ever purchased.

Pros
It is Smyth Sewn so it will be a lifetime tool. The pages will not fall out in future years. It has great Bible paper that is opaque with little or no bleed through of text or my own written notes. I would still use .005 Micron acid free pen that you can find at scrap book stores. The pens will not bleed through, they write dark, and they will not deteriorate the paper since they are acide free. The goatskin cover is absolutely worth the extra dollars. It is supple beyond belief and is the finest I have found including those made by Allan's. Buy the goatskin please, the other leathers offered cannot even come close. The margins are wide on both sides of the double column text. The print of the Bible is very bold. A little small but appears much larger because it is bold.

Cons
None. If you like the KJV and this version is the main version you use this is a MUST BUY FOR YOU.

I've always wanted a Cambridge Bible. They look so sleek and well made. When I bought mine (goatskin, of course, haha), I was very impressed with the craftmanship. I have and do own alot of Bibles and this one by far surpasses them all. The binding is extra tight on this version (which I guess has been an issue on other versions). The pages are beautiful, the type is great, and the leather, OH THE LEATHER IS AWESOME. I often show my friends how I can literaly fold the front or back cover in half, and it simply springs back to place, without any crease marks, dents, etc. It's amazing. The features are also a plus. There's extra lettered pages for your own concordance, as well as lined paper for notes. The maps are great too. They're from the Moody Bible Institute. My favorite part however, is the wide margins. Perfect for the serious student. WAY TO GO CAMBRIDGE! Thanks for such a quality product. Buy it from amazon and you will save tons of money. I bought mine for half the price of other retail stores. WOW!

This is one of the worlds best Bibles. Only the Bibles of Allan and Son's surpass it! Grace and Peace

This is a cook book and a how-to-do-it prep book for classical French cooking. While the recipes are excellent, the pics on how to prepare in the classical style are the best I have ever seen--the phototography is exceptional. Pretty much every step in classical cooking is explained from prepping meats, poultry, and fish to baking. While extremely useful in the kitchen while prepping and cooking, this could also be a coffee table book--it is that beautiful.

This is one of those reference works that every cook should have at hand. Whether you are into serious gourmet cooking or you merely want to know how to carve a turkey or what part of the cow does a strip steak come from, you will have the answer in this book in beautiful color illustrations and easy to follow explanations.

I simply love this book. My native language is not English, but I could read it and understand very easily. Also, it's full of unforgettable insights which I like the best. So I would recommend this book to people like me - not very fluent in English, but eager to learn how to cook properly.

Not so much a cookbook as a practical guide to French technique, from the basics to the challenging. And it's got lots of color pictures! I've used the instructions to cut up a duck, to make bechamel, and to bake the chocolate-walnut cake. But I've also used the book to refine my technique to improve upon recipes from other cookbooks. A wonderful addition to my library.

There are many books on basic skills to advanced skills in the kitchen. However, I think this book still remains one of the best. I have seen books come and go, but this stands the test of time... Excellent descriptions, excellent pictures and inclusive of all that you should know and want to know as a chef. Foodies at home will appreciate it too. This book is a classic.

It is a very good book, but I am a bit skeptical of some of the content

Unlike most prison stories which chronicle the lives of men caught in the system, Life on the Outside, sketches the life of Elaine Bartlett, a mother of four and victim of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Jennifer Gonnerman, a Village Voice staff writer, draws an amazing picture of the hardships and suffering women face when they try to weave their way back into society after a long prison term without any training or support. Unmatched by any other book, Life on the Outside will give readers a glimpse of the multi-generational effect prison terms have on families.

I feel as though I've now had an intimate look at life in the ghetto. This story of Elaine Bartlett is written with honesty and has no happy ending. It is a story of Rockefeller's ridiculous drug laws and the impact they had on one family. If you're looking for justice, you won't find it here. Elaine and her family have had lives of struggle, poverty, anger, crime, prison, drug addiction, etc. Not pretty. It is a book every American should read. It is my hope (and I didn't see any mention of this in the book) that the author, Jennifer Gonnerman, has given a percentage of the profits from this book to Elaine Bartlett. Without her, there would be no story. I want to thank Jennifer Gonnerman for writing this book. I hope Elaine has decorated her apartment and has some extra money stashed away in a safe place.

An important book. Several years ago, I read a lengthy rave review about this book in "The New York Times" and bought it. It's about "breaking the cycle" of imprisonment and poverty in families. At a time when governments do little other than epitomize Benjamin Franklin's definition of insanity ("doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results") this book makes clear why we should tell stakeholders to go to hell and do something other than Nixon-Bush's "tough on crime," "punish don't rehabilitate," etc. Buy it five copies at a time, read it, and pass it on (please)!!

I was outraged that a first time offense could land this mother in prison for 15 to life is that justice No matter fact Hell to the No. Are drugs bad in the community well of course Yes. Although what she did was wrong by carrying those drugs to Albany she and her children should not have had to suffer sixteen years without her even five years would have been stiff but sufficient. I read one reviewer state that she was committing welfare fraud by working under the table and a host of other things anyway. But different people look at things differently you see I was born where Elaine was born and when our mothers went out and worked under the table it was called survival. When young white teens are allowed to work under the table it is called "teaching them responsibility" People kill me how they are so ready to judge. Anyway I once again will reiterate that in no way do I agree with her carrying any drugs because my mother was addicted to drugs which royally screwed up my family BUT before anyone judges Elaine let's look at this a young mother with four children working on the side is very vunerable to be lured into the situation she was lured into by George Deets. And to think good people allowed this to happen and are still allowing this to happen cause' why is Nathan still sitting in prison for four ounces worth of cocaine.
To the Author I applaud you for writing Elaine's story with DIGNITY.

This is a great book for someone who has written a screenplay and now needs help making it better.

I consider Elizabeth's books on editing way above any college course I've ever taken in writing. Elizabeth knows her stuff. Her edits on my books, her conference workshops, and her books (like this one)are the best available.

I have to admit. I was disappointed with this book. Do you remember how your elementary school teacher made English way more difficult that it really is by using proper terminology? Predicates, conjuctions, adverbs etc.

This book does the same thing. It takes the simple parts of fiction, like plot, characterization and movement, and essentially makes it more complicated than it needs to be. Much of what is described in long-winded chapters is common sense to the average writer.

I won't say I didn't learn anything, but I reccomend Self Editing for Fiction Writers as a much more useful and easier book to understand.

You might after this. Turn it into a creative as well as left-brain task. There are many ideas in here that have taken my writing to a whole new level,and if applied by others should do the same. Now my favorite book on revision.

I've read several books about editing, style, and revision techniques and without a doubt this is the best I've come across so far. It covers an extensive range of topics, goes straight to the point, and most importantly presents them in a helpful, supportive manner. The examples cover a range of books from award winning literature to romance and children's books. The advice is clearly laid out and is presented in a manner that gives options not absolute rules (as unfortunately is the case with so many other books of this type). The checklists at the end of each chapter are very useful, I know I'll be referring back to this book over and over again.

I've just finished reading the book and already I've identified tons of ideas on how to sharpen up and polish my novel, things that were already there but just weren't developed to their full potential.

If you're serious about your novel (and even if you're just writing for the fun of it but still want to make most of it) buy this book. It's well worth the money.

"Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" covers nearly everything that takes place in life from preconception to death. Diagnostic and treatment advice is easy to read and accentuated with diagrams and photos.

FOUND THE GENERAL INFORMATION OF SPECIFIC DISEASES AND ITS POSSIBLE TREATMENTS. VERY GOOD AND PRECISE INFORMATION.

We purchased the Mayo Clinic Eeference guide to serve as a family medical book. We are very pleased with the descriptions and information about comon medical issues. I highly recommend this book for individuals who want more information about common and not so common medical difficulties.

This is a book no household should be without. Very informative and helpfull. The index is great and the information is to the point... Excellent photos and drawings. Only drawback: a bit bulky!

The Mayo Family Health book is a "wealth of information."
My husband recently became ill and was hospitalized. We were able to pinpoint symptoms in the book which helped us along with our health provider get appropriate testing and treatment for his condition.

With healthcare today, we must be "informed consumers".
I have worked nearly 35 years in clinical laboratory medicine and I still learn something new everyday....this book certainly helps.

This hard to find book was worth every bit my hunt for the best manual on moving. I wish the author would re-do this b/c I never found anything better than this book that lays out in a methodical and clear manner.

I had a tough time trying to find this book. The reviews on it are excellent so I wanted to get a hold of it. I had to hunt down a used copy, but it was worth all the energies I put into it. It IS the best book on moving, and I'm glad I got it. It's a truly helpful and useful book that offers step-by-step directions on how to relocate yourself, your family, your plants, and your pets. C'mon, Nan Hayes, and rewrite and update this book! I urge real estate agents to use this book as a gift at closings.

I had a hard time finding this book but I rejoiced when I did. It has everything in it that you need to know and do to relocate. Real estate agents ought to be giving this book out as gifts to their clients at closing. Reading this book sure made my move a whole lot easier.

This is the best book I've ever used for relocating, and I'm in the Service and move a lot. People in the real estate and moving businesses ought to get copies of this because this book makes the difficult task easy.

I move from Mexico to Arizona (don't worry; I am legal) and don't know how to do that. I find this book and use it as a guide to help me move. It was very very good. Easy to follow and do. I would like to see this book in the future to include moving across borders and more on moving overseas. Great Book, senora Hayes.

We got these books b/c my 18 month old twins were having trouble relating the cartoon images in our other books to real life and it gets tedious to go through the whole house and try to point out names of things. They absolutely LOVE them! They will spend hours every day pointing to things and asking what they are, saying the words they know, and putting animal sounds or signs we've taught them with the images. They are learning new words all the time and I really think these books are a big factor in how quickly their vocabulary is expanding.

I bought these books for my son who is 16 months old. He loves them and I find him taking them out and turning the pages while smiling or laughing at the bright pictures. We go over the pages together too. I think they are great and they are also very durable.

Our kids will bring these books to us over and over pointiong to animals objects and look at us waiting to hear the name of the object. It's become one of our favorite things to do.

These books are so great!! My twin girls got them when they turned one, and they have learned so many words from them! They can name so many different things! The animal book is also really great! The only complaint I have is that some of the pictures are so generic that it is really hard to even tell what it is, but that is really hard to do in a book. That is when you go and get the real thing and show it to your toddler and name it for them!! They do put some less common things in them as well, though, to really challenge them and expand their vocabulary. There are a few animals in the Animal Book that I hadn't even heard of!! These are great for the car because they will keep your toddler occupied for a while. They will flip through the book naming everything!! I was amazed at how fast my girls learned so many words. They are 22 months, and they know all their letters, all their colors, all their shapes, most every animal and its sound, and I think these books have helped them learn a lot of those things! I don't even know how many words they know, but they pretty much know everything in all three books! These are their favorite books and have been for months and months. They will not get tired of them quickly because there are soooo many pictures! This also makes a great gift for a first birthday!

My son is 18 months, and these have been his favorite books for a long time. Compact, a good size for him, and good for travelling. The photos seem to appeal more to my son than the cartoon graphics in many childrens book.

They are so popular with my son, that they have been used so much that they will need replacing before too long. Not that this any problem with the books themselves, just heavy use!

You cannot go wrong with this set.

I like Mr. Lester R. Brown! I liked this well written book which was very interesting. He's a good writer. You don't have to struggle to get to the end of this book. I read books like these because I am concerning about what type of world my children will live in in 2035-2050, long, long, after I am gone. Some of the Author's warm and fuzzy ideas I don't agree with. When I was born, there were only 150 million Americans and 2.5 billion people on the earth. Now there are 300 million Americans and 6.5 billion people on the earth. Life will not be warm and fuzzy when there are 400 million Americans and 9 billion people on the earth. I think the outcome will be war and sickness. This book is a very, very good read! Regards, Keith Renick, Peachtree City, Ga.

I bought this book after much reading about the overall resource strain our planet has been facing though wanted to read all about it in one place. This book is an excellent resource for this purpose. I treasure this book because every now and then I can keep pulling out some impressive statistics and data and even helps me choose a direction to look for when thinking about my own family's future.

However, I take away one star because the 'solutions' offered are not indepth. A majority of the book only focuses on talking about issues. The last chapter with the solutions leaves something desired.

Read first copy I bought. This 2nd, 3rd & 4th are for my grandkids. They're are the ones inheriting the problems and, I hope, they will be living toward solutions. I especially like from p. 123 on, when Brown begins proposing solutions. Astounded that we humans, globally subsidize nonrenewables by &700 Billion ANNUALLY. Love the idea of carbon taxes rather than cumbersome regulation & enforcement. Kathryn Russell

Plan B. 2.0 is the most comprehensive book I've found yet on the converging crises that we are facing in the world today. In Part I of the book, Lester R. Brown lays out each crisis, explaining the causes, and then goes on in Parts II and III, lays out a rational, well-thought-out,practical solution to the problems at hand. I gave my husband a copy of it to use for part of the Critical Issues for Law Enforcement class he's teaching at our local university. As far as I'm concerned, every American ought to have a copy and read it often and thoroughly. We need to be aware of what we're doing to ourselves and others. The frosting on this cake is that he gives us the tools we need to remedy the situation...if we act now.

If you care about this planet and our journey upon it, this book is essential reading for the millennium ahead. I just wanted to add my five stars. Please read the other reviews for the overview of "Plan B: 2.0"

A very good book. Very comprehensive. Explanations, drawings are perfect. Perfect for training at home

I've read a number of books on the game of pool. I was very impressed with the authors grasp of the game as well as his very apparent love of the game. He has obviously studied the art form intensely for many years. I felt that his realistic, open minded approach and access to many of the current greats of the game make his advice quite invaluable to the commited student of the game. Buy this book if you're serious about improving.

Phil Chapelle's book "Play Your Best Pool" is a wealth of resources. It is quite thorough and would be good for someone seriously interested in pool. It's got a 60+ page section on 8-ball, an equally thorough section on 9 ball, and more on the fundamentals, shotmaking, position play,how to improve, practice techniques, and equipment. My games have significantly improved by reading and using Chapelle's book. Highly recommended. So much information that a novice might be overwhelmed, and it might not be so useful if you don't have a home table to go through it all (I wish I did)...but still, an indispensable book.

I got this book when i first became serious about playing pool, while reading it my game just kept going up and up and up, now i break and run several times a night. before it would be make a ball or 2 and that was it for my runs. it is a great book.

I have read eight books on pool. This is by far the best of the eight. The book is cramed with pool information. A no nonsense approach to playing the game. If you want to learn more about playing pool, this is the read.