Publications Books

If you are new to Children's Liturgy of the Word, this is a great book to start with! It is easy for anyone to use to facilitate Children's Liturgy of the Word, and it has all the Sundays for all three cycles. My parish has been using this book as a resource for two years.

A wonderful resource to use for Children's Liturgy of the Word or for catechesis.

I have been in charge of the children's mass at my church for a few years now. We had some old books from the 1970's that we were using, but they had inadvertantly got recycled during a clean out that I missed at our church. So, I went on several sites trying to find a replacement. When I found this book, I was apprehensive about what might be inside. I was very happy when it arrived. Not only does it cover the gospel for each week, but it has a suggested activity to go along with it that you can photocopy. I have requested that my church order one to keep with the children's mass supplies as I plan on keeping this one for myself to use not only for the mass, but also as a reference for the sunday school class I teach. This book will help anyone who wishes to teach a child about their religion in an easy and fun way.

we bought this book this summer, as a workbook/instruction manual for our church's recently re-introduced children's liturgy program. it's perfect! completely scripted, any one of the 4 couples who take turns leading, can just pick it up the night before, read over it and be ready to lead the next morning. in years past, the leaders spent so much time preparing and planning that they could offer only ONE children's liturgy a month! but with so much of the work done for us, in this book, we are happy to offer it EVERY sunday. the gospel is kid friendly, the discussion questions are very helpful and the kids love the activity pages....we love that they directly correlate to each sunday's gospel reading. 5 STARS! highly recommend!

This book is a wonderful resource for RE teachers and catechists. I teach 2nd grade catechism and use the readings in this book at the beginning of each lesson (once a week). The kids love to hear the stories and have told me that it makes "Father's readings more interesting!" The activities are very relevant and complement the readings very well.
The only problem I've had, is that a couple of the readings were too condensed and left out some key details. Therefore, it took a little more effort and time to explain them, and they left the kids a bit confused. But, with careful research and comparison from the readings at Mass, I've been able to clarify any uncertainty.
I highly recommend this book to catechists working at the elementary levels! It is a great addition to the curriculum and helps the kids get more involved in the Mass.

This is a classic work by Bhikkhu Bodhi. It is academically outstanding and includes valuable notes, indices and tables. Even though the introduction is very good and translator has done an excellent job dealing with the great repetition of the Pali canon, I'm not sure that it would be a book for beginners. But as soon as one has some foundation and understanding of the canon, it is a must have.

This translation is a masterpiece of our time. An Epic translation unmatched in scholarship or praise. It is a volume that any student of early Buddhism, scholar and lay-person alike will cherish and refer back to time and again. Little criticism can be found in the scholarship of the translation, and for those who are curious, thorough notes are given at the ends of chapters, but I am forced to subtract a star just for the fact that one wishes that a work of this scope would be published in a superior binding than what is found in the current edition. The binding is unfortunately glued instead of sewn, and it can be expected that this is not a book that will last to be passed down to kin. I would like to see a publication of superior quality someday.

The book is an excellent introduction (albeit not an easy one) to the thought of the Buddha presented in a form as close to the original utterances as we are able to get at this remove in time. Anyone interested in Buddhist thought in general, and specific presentations of Buddhist ideas and ideals in particular, should be familiar with this book.

While much more wieldy as a two volume set, this single volume edition remains an essential edition to any Buddhist library. From the five aggregates to the eightfold path, the Samyutta Nikaya covers some of the most important topics in the Buddhist canon. Bhikkku Bodhi's translation is accessible and his omissions of some of the more repetitive passages welcome. In addition, Bhikkhu Bodhi's annotations are comprehensive and add much to the text itself. Whether one's interests are academic or spiritual (or both!), this translation comes highly recommended.

The Samyutta Nikaya -- Connected Discourses of the Buddha -- is an integral work of the Pali Canon of Buddhism, the Scripture of Theravada Buddhism. This work is also considered canonical by later schools of Buddhism. The Connected Discourses is a lengthy, difficult work which focuses on philosophical teachings and on meditation practice. It was probably written for advanced students unlike its companion volumes, the Mid-Length Discourses, (Majhima Nikaya) and the Long-Length Discourses (Digha Nikaya) also available in translation from Wisdom Publications.

This work has been lucidly and beautifully translated by the American scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi who also edited the Majhima. Students of Buddhism are forever in his debt. The Connected Discourses consists of five separate, lengthy books, each of which, except for the first book, concentrates on a specific aspect of the Buddha's teachings. All the teachings in the book center upon understanding of the four noble truths. Each book is arranged in chapters with the suttas generally, but not always, presented in groups of ten. The suttas are generally short and dense and lack the quality of story-telling found in the Long and Middle Discourses. Bikkhu Bodhi has laboriously translated the text and prepared a general introduction to the entire book and an introduction to each of the five parts. There are extensive footnotes, some of which are for the specialist and some of which are for the general reader, which draw in many cases upon the ancient commentaries to the text, together with a concordance and a bibliography. It is an inspiration to have this volume available for study.

There are many famous discourses in this collection, and I will try to mention some briefly. The first book of the Connected Discourses consists of verses spoken by an interlocutor of the Buddha, frequently a deva or other supernatural being, and the Buddha himself. These cover a range of subjects. Probably the best-known Sutta in this part is the Sutta of Rahitassa, 2:26, in which the Buddha teaches that the end of the world can never be reached by walking but can only be understood through reflection on "this fathom-high carcass endowed with perception and mind." Bikkhu Bodhi comments on this sutta that it "may well be the most profound proposition in the history of human thought."

The second book of the Connected Discourses deals in detail with the difficult doctrine of Dependent Origination which is basic to understanding the four noble truths and to the doctrines of non-self and impermanence. Sutta 12:23, sometimes titled "Transcendental Dependent Origination", is an important part of this collection which adds a component to the doctrine not found elsewhere in the texts. It applies the teachings of Dependent Origination to the pursuit of enlightenment itself rather than only to the explanation of why people ordinarily remain emeshed in a web of delusion and ignorance. This is a profound and important teaching.

The third book of the Connected Discourses includes teachings on the five aggregates (form, feeling, perceptions, volitional formations, consciousness) which are the components of sentient existence. Buddha persents an understanding of the aggregates as necessary to an understanding of the path of liberation. One of the three earliest "cardinal discourses of the Buddha" delivered just after his enlightement is included in this book, at 22:59 which includes the Buddha's first exposition of the doctrine of nonself.

The fourth book deals with the nature of the six sense bases (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, consciousness) which are the means through which people understand physical reality. This book includes another of the three cardinal discourses, the famous fire sermon, 35:28, which shows how people are emeshed in sense and need reflection and the Buddha's teachings for awakening.

The final book is the longest of the collection and discusses the path to liberation. It culminates in a discussion of the four noble truths and also includes lengthy treatments of meditation the seven factors of enlightenment, the role of faith in Buddhism, and practices for laymen. This book includes the earliest of the Buddha's teachings delivered to his five original disciples, 56:11, in which the Buddha explained the four noble truths and turned the wheel of Dhamma to make the principles of enlightenment known to the world.

This is an inexhaustible and difficult collection that requires patience and reflection to read. It probably is not suitable for the beginning student of Buddhism because of its spare, philosophical character and because of its length and manner of exposition, which new readers will find hard to follow. The book is not for casual reading but will appeal to those wanting to deepen their understanding of Buddhism's basic teachings and to develop their own practice. As with the suttas as a whole, the book is less an exposition of doctrine than a means for reflection. It is a gift to have these teachings available in English in Bhikku Bodhi's translation and guide.

Robin Friedman

If I were a millionaire, I would keep a case of these in my car trunk and hand them out to any women I met who were getting married. I do give a copy to friends and family members who get engaged.

When I got engaged a few years ago, I went looking for a wedding planner book and was discouraged by the total focus on the superficial elements of the wedding in every book I found. When I discovered this one it was like a gift. Because of its suggestions I was emotionally prepared for my wedding and my marriage in a way I certainly would not otherwise have been. I am tremendously grateful to Paul for putting the focus of a wedding back where it should be, on the relationship between the two people joining their lives.

This book was purchased as a gift. It appeared to cover everything for a successful wedding. The only reason I didnt rate 5 stars is the mechanics of the book. I thought it was going to have spiral binding.

I only found this book about two weeks before my wedding, but it transformed my experience. The planning and participating in all the logistics absolutely had me in tailspin. I knew that I wanted to be FEELING the experience, to be present with it, but amidst all the chaos with flowers and registeries and RSVPs I couldn't hook into how. This book may have been the most significant contributor to my spiritually and emotionally absorbing my wedding after my husband and my family's presence. It is honest, deeply empathic, and really creative. Suggestions like "write a goodbye letter to your single self" or create a pie diagram of your emotions about the wedding/getting married, really brought out what I was feeling. Some of the parts were not relevant, so I skipped those. Overall, the book resonated deeply with me. I give it to everyone I know as an engagement present.

The Conscious Bride wedding planner is an insightful, organized and invaluable resource for any bride. It covers the deeper areas of preparation for your wedding day with just the right touch. It helped me clarify my intention for marriage and create just the right feeling and look for my wedding that was uniquely my own. I would have never been so prepared or calm or joyful without having worked through this planner.

I loved this book- it is great at helping you remain centered throughout the process of getting engaged and then married. It focuses on the emotional side of the process and has many excerises to work through, relating many of the aspects of the planing process to emotional events in your life, such as letting go of past relationships and lost loved ones, and asserting yourself (in creating and limiting your guest list). While it does have sections for everything from flowers and food to dress and location, it might not be the definitive planner in terms of planning a really traditional, detail-oriented wedding. However, if what you are looking for is a companion to guide you through the wedding planning process and keep you sane and grounded, this is really an excellent choice. Lots of excercises, worksheets and more, and a companion website- highly recommended!

I found this little book to be /Inspirational/Funny/Sad/I wonder is that how God really is. Bob seems to have a much better undestanding of the "spiritual world" than most.That is why I enjoy reading his writtings so much.Thank You again Bob

I liked a lot of things about this book. It's a short read in that it's a series of statements by folks with 'answers' from God in bold below them. Each statement/answer then is a stand-alone thought that can be read and appreciated for itself. I think that God watches Judge Judy on occasion. One person says, "God, I feel like believing in you is a complete waste of my time." God answers, "I know the feeling." Another statement hit home strongly with me. A man tells God that keeping his pickup truck from starting won't stop him from going out & getting drunk that night. God tells him the truck will start after he's gone back inside to say goodbye to his mother who won't be there when he gets back from the tavern. His Mom dies in his arms, in the house, 2 hours later and the man has not had a drink since.

Unfortunately, for me personally, there are several examples of answers from 'God' that perpetuate the 'fire and brimstone,' "You're going to burn in Hell forever" God that turned me off to Him years ago. Fundamentalist Christians will love them but I tend to take that kind of statement with a grain of salt and look for the loving message that I know underlies it if it's really from God. I highly recommend this book as something to have handy for a quick pick-me-up since you can open it almost anywhere and find a useful inspiration of some kind. Even the ones I disagree with make me think and that's not all bad. It was worth the price to me.

I am an avid reader.Having read many books through the years Christian and Non-Christian.I have been helped and blessed by some,entertained by others,but I found this book to be Inspired.I could give this to my teenaged grandsons,best friends,or my mother and all would be able to enjoy and relate to it. It is refreshing and insightful.It will allow you to chuckle,touch your heart and your soul.Give you peace of mind and spirit. Each home would profit by having this book accessible to family members and friends.Its message is profound and I would recommend it as a wonderful gift .

A friend knowing my feelings about God, sent me this book. Be it a real or an imaginary God in this book, it is a God I can believe in. It feels good not hating television evangelist. It was the first time anyone had laid it out so clearly.

There are advantages of being a fulltime pastor for forty-three years. Then there are the disadvantages. I try as best I can not to dwell on the disadvantages. But the one that did bother me the most, was not being able to answer the questions of children. Adults seldom ask really hard to answer questions, like, What is Gods favorite color? or Are their toys in heaven? or Why is everything that is fun to do a sin? I remember this one well, Why did God choose the Jews instead of us? Forty-three years I have been talking about God, only to learn that I knew very little about Him. This book is The Spirit at work. A Minister who has not read this book is unlearned regardless of their education.

Kevin Conner is a gifted man of God endowed with great discernment and wisdom. I buy all of his books and encourage everyone else to add them to their own collections. His books are great tools for any student of the bible and are HIGHLY recommended.

This book is being used in a bible study on "The Covenants of God".
It is very detailed & gives alot of bible verses to refer to. This is a
great study guide...Recommended with a smile.

A great Bible reference tool; every serious Bible student should have this one in their library. The book is a comprehensive look at the major covenants; begining with the Edenic covenant in Genesis and on through to the New Covenant in the New Testament Gospels. I found this book an invaluable study tool.

The book is brilliant. I am using it as the basis for a church bible study and it is really making the folks think. We are looking at the bible in a way some have never considered before with the result that there are people dipping into the bible as they have never done before. It is a challenging book well written in a way that can easily be used to teach others from.

This book was definitely worth reading. It brought clarity to the various covenants in the bible. I particular liked reading the promises and commandments of the New Testament/Covenant. It brought to light for me of how much authority the body of Christ could be walking in through the promises of the New Covenant.

When reading about the covenants in this book, it's like reading a contract of Power. It's an excellent book, very detailed and organized.

More than any other living astrologer, Noel Tyl has wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the comprehensive blending of the very best that psychotherapy and astrology have to offer. His studies with the psychologists Henry A. Murray and Gordon Allport, the sociologist George Homans, the anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn, and the theologian Paul Tillich have informed and enriched his perspective. His own vast individual experiences as a businessman, as a global traveller, as an artist and performer, and as the facilitator in thousands of therapeutic sessions with his astrological clients bring overwhelming clarity and credibility to everything he does. He never ceases adding value to the discipline of astrology, steadfastly helping it keep pace with the most sophisticated advances in modern humanistic studies. His influence is truly enormous-- it's fair to say that everyone who connects with a competent, knowledgable astrologer today owes Noel Tyl a debt of gratitude, directly or indirectly.

Best of all, Noel Tyl never stops learning and growing, and he has shared the fruits of that ongoing growth in the nearly two dozen books he has authored or edited. In his newest book, The Creative Astrologer, he has expanded his vision of relevant personal astrology to a new, incredibly fulfilling level-- astrology, in his eyes, can immeasurably enrich people's lives as a single-session counseling approach that provides "insight study for self-help assistance," provided that the astrologer approaches this important work with consciousness, compassion, and creativity.

In The Creative Astrologer, Tyl not only presents a convincing case for his view of astrology as a therapeutic tool for personal empowerment; he also provides detailed, step-by-step insights into the counseling process, dramatically illustrating his writing with case studies that make the theory a living reality on the page. There's much in this book on the nuances of communication in an astrological counseling session, with specific guidance on questioning techniques, presentation skills, objectification, creative listening, disclosure, and the like. There are solid, sensible tips on relating to client expressions of anger and depression; on discerning needs, feelings, and coping mechanisms; and on doing the necessary astrological preparation prior to meeting the client.

Above all, this book is a call for astrologers to make creative connections (hence its title!) with clients and their horoscopes. Tyl notes that "the creative astrologer feels good about life, feels that there is a purpose for developmental tension" and can "relate the horoscope to the life being lived by the client." He admonishes astrologers "to look beyond the obvious; to play astro-detective." And throughout his book, he encourages astrologers to be sensitive in paying attention to their clients, to be competent and ethical, and above all, to think. "Together," Tyl says, "astrologer and client achieve insight, rebalance judgment and values, and affect change. And it feels good."

The Creative Astrologer is an important book. It brings clarity, insight, and life-supporting energy to the practice of person-centered astrology. It's a book with a lot of heart. If you're an astrologer, you certainly don't want to pass this one up.

But even if you're not an astrologer yourself, if you personally know or work with an astrologer, don't waste any time. Buy a copy of The Creative Astrologer immediately and then give it to the astrologer of your acquaintance. Your gift will benefit both of you immeasurably!

Other reviews here have explained the content and value of this book very well. I would add only that this work is important to the practicing astrologer because it does show how to focus on key elements of tension within the chart when a client seeks a consultation. Most people seeking astrological counseling for the first time are in some sort of crisis and need affirmation of and help with their experience. Using many examples that are clearly explained, Mr. Tyl does a superb job of showing how to be as effective as possible without wasting time. This work should be in every astrologer's library.

I have recently finished reading "The Creative Astrologer" and must say that Noel Tyl has done it again! His well documented examples of how to relate what is suggested in the horoscope to the client (in terms that anyone and everyone can understand) is first class. The information and insights that he shares regarding the discussion of developmental difficulties which one may face in life are an absolute essential for anyone who is dealing with the psychological interpretation of the horoscope. This book provides the reader with a clear understanding of complex life situations and suggests techniques to effectively deal with them in a single counseling session. Within these pages one is shown, by example, how to work with the client and how to convey information in a clear and concise manner. We are provided with wonderful insights into understanding the significance of the client's body language, tone of voice, mode of dress, etc. The knowledge and wisdom that he shares with the reader is a gift to us all.

This book can be said to be a very useful book for astrological practitioners who want to make the best of limited time for consultation. The title of the book says the "creative" astrologer, since Mr. Tyl believes that neither therapists' credentials (i.e., Ph.D., M.A., and so on) nor experience are not relevant to the effectiveness of therapy.

The aim of this book is to instruct how to conduct an effective counseling and provide numbers of applicable examples. If possible, I recommend you to read Basil Fearrington's "The New Way to Learn Astrology" before reading this book. The author of "The New Way-" is a Mr. Tyl's student, who explains Mr. Tyl's theory very clearly. If you read this book first, you can understand easily theoretical background of "The Creative Astrologer~."

In his creative counseling, Mr. Tyl emphasizes the importance of thinking deeper into parental influences and persistent tendencies that one have been continuing from childhood. In this sense, he takes much of the effects of transiting Saturn's aspects to Angles and to Saturn (7,14,28-30, 35, 42-45, 60 years old) in the natal chart. Also, he put weight on Moon due to its importance in developmental stage. In the late chapter is like a cookbook filled with his "creative" connections among planets and houses.

Although I am not so much interested in the main parts of this book, i.e., case studies of a siingle session and his advice, this book can be of great use for practical use of astrology.

I greatly enjoyed this book, however I do have some reservations about the focus. Mr. Tyl approaches sessions with clients as a type of psychoanalysis which, while certainly valid, has some drawbacks in that it may be too specific.

Tyl is concerned with parental influences and upbringing as well as self-worth feelings in the client. All well and good, but not every person wants to take this approach; some just want to know about their careers and love lives.

The author deals mainly with minor aspects in the natal chart such as the quindecile and downplays major aspects such as the trine and square. He also frequently refers to solar arcs and to his own counseling textbook, which can give one the impression that he subscribes only to his own techniques and dismisses others.

Having said all that, there are great nuggets of infomation here, and I prefer to study Tyl's books and use what works, incorporating it with what I already have learned.

Based on protocols in this book, I devised methods to complete my own experiments. I found the insights contained in the book completely indispensable. The range of topics it contains and the detail with which Freshney explains each point made the process of designing conditions for experiments rational and approachable. I highly recommend this book.

There are not a lot of glossy pretty pictures, which is a good thing for a no-nonsense instruction manual that gets the point across with what pictures it did have. I found it to be a very good complement to my cell culture class. Everything I learned in the lab was put into context nicely.

I purchased this book with a description of like new. I would say this is new. The previous person who used this did not even break in the binder. This is an excellent reference book, I have enjoyed reading the text up to this point.

For many years Freshney's Culture of Animal Cells has been the gold standard of tissue culture reference books. This new edition adds and updates many techniques and continues to be the best book in its area. I use it extensively both for my own research and in teaching classes on tissue culture.

Freshney's Culture of Animal Cells is a great book. It is writen on an easy style, it is concise and complete at the same time and it does teach you all the basics (and a little bit more) of cell culture. When I was doing my masters I didn't have a lot of help with my cell culture experiments and this book was fundamental for my research. The book covers everything, starting from the biology of cultured cells, equipments, design of the lab and asseptic technique and going all the way to primary culture, cloning and selection, cell separation, characterization, differentiation and more. The book (hard cover) is pretty resistant and it easily stands going to the bench (where you surely will be using it a lot). If you are thinking about spending money on a book about cell culture techniques this is the book! Don't think twice.

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

This is a very handy guide, not just for Episcopalians, but for members of any liturgical church, for the Episcopal church does not have a monopoly on many of the things defined herein, but rather shares these with the larger body of Christendom. Granted, there are many things uniquely Episcopalian, but the appeal of this book should not be limited to that audience.

John Wall, the author, and Philippa Goodwin, illustrator, have put together a very handy guide for learning what's what in the church. The vestments worn by bishops, priests, deacons, and other ministers in the liturgy are very specific and almost everything worn has an historical background. Many terms are derived from the Latin, owing to the shared history with the Western Catholic church. Despite the general Anglicanisation of the church, these Latinate terms endured.

In some respects, Anglicans seem to speak a foreign language. First time visitors to the church are often lost, as one must juggle books, learn when to sit, kneel, stand, process, and then listen in as the commentary around them may begin to take the form of a secret medieval code. 'Oops, the acolytes forgot to put out the lavabo again.' 'My, would you look at that tattered tippet? It must always get caught on the sedalia.' 'I was sorry to miss the exsultet, but the curate dropped the cruet in the sacristy, and I couldn't make it back to the narthex for the start of the procession...'

Yes, all of these terms and more are explained in plain English in the alphabetically arranged entries of the dictionary. The illustrations help in terms of vestments, 'furniture' pieces, various postures, and more. The discussion is very practical, more in terms of 'what' than of 'why' - the theological underpinnings are also rarely discussed, as that could take volumes, and goes beyond the scope of this work, which is meant to be a handy reference and easy-to-follow guide for the newcomer, the new acolyte or ministry helper, or the general member of the congregation who wants a bit more understanding of his or her surroundings.

Testament to its popularity, the dictionary has gone through several editions and revisions - the first edition I have is one from the early 1980s, and the latest from 2000, in a wide-book format. A must-have for any Episcopalian, it is also useful for those in other churches. It is also a good reference book to have by Episcopal churches.

John Wall's revised, expanded and updated Dictionary for Episcopalians is the perfect reference for parishioners new and old, a guide for clergy and a must for members of the Vestry. The new and larger format is appealing and Philippa Anderson's illustrations continue to enhance the text. Lloyd Childers, Senior Warden, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Hampstead, NC.

On the surface of things, there might seem something a bit precious about a dictionary that explains "churchy" terms. It smacks of private language and esoteric, self-enclosed culture--two characteristics frequently ascribed to the Episcopal Church. But in fact John Wall's (revised & expanded) dictionary is a gem for at least three reasons. First, it helps the average Episcopalian to get in better touch with his/her tradition. Two thousand years of practice are embedded in the Eucharist and other religious liturgies, and it helps to heighten appreciation and celebration when the richness of that practice is better understood. (The priest's washing of hands is called "lavabo," from the Latin for "I will wash," and dates back at least to Jewish ceremonial ablutions.) Second, any Episcopalian who will ever serve on the altar guild or vestry or as a lay eucharistic minister is going to run across terms that are unfamiliar--paten, pall, centrum, burse, etc. In fact, people in the pew who play no other role in church are likely to be confused at some terms: for example, concelebration, collect, rood, proper. So the dictionary is incredibly helpful from a purely practical perspective. Finally, it's simply very cool to learn that objects in the church and acts in liturgy actually have names: cincture, solemn vs. simple bow, orans position. Believe it or not, this is one dictionary you'll read straight through.

By the way: a dossal is the "large piece of fabric, often decorated with symbols, hung on the wall behind the altar. The term is derived from the Latin word for 'back'" (p 45).

I agree with the reviewers below that this is THE essential book for newcomers to the Episcopal church, or even for lifetime Episcopalians who just never got all those terms straight. Also a great gift for someone's confirmation, or for a wedding where one spouse is an Episcopalian and the other isn't.

The illustrations deserve special mention, too--they're clear, crisp, and elegant. These, and the lovely design of the book, really enhance its gift-giving appropriateness.

I have to say that I loved this book/dictionary. For someone who did not come from a litergical background, this book illuminated so much for me. Every Episcopalian church should have this available for new members.

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