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I love sea stories, I love survival stories & I knew very little about this book besides the fact that almost every review was 5 stars. I thought I would give it try. This is the story of John Caldwell who at the end of WW2 was stranded at the opposite end of the world from his new wife Mary whom he had married the year before. Try as John might he could not find a way to get back to his wife in Australia. From his years of service in the merchant marine he had enough money saved up to buy a 26 year old 29 foot sailboat. With ZERO training & knowledge of sailing he set off from Panama for a 9,000 mile journey.

One of the things that sets this book apart is at the start John really knows nothing about sailing & he isn't afraid to admit it. Right from the moment he casts off he is only minutes from disaster but somehow he prevails & after numerous mistakes he slowly learns to be a better sailor. He sails solo but he is far from alone, he has two kittens who you learn to love & other secret stowaways. Some become friends, some become dinner. John writes with a great sense of humor. As I was reading the book I was expecting John to get lost or beat up in storms but I wasn't expecting the epic tale of survival. It is one of most successful sailing stories ever. I won't delve any farther into what happens but I will say he has endless interesting escapades with the creatures of the south seas & you will see why this is a desperate voyage. Also you will be amazed at what a human being will eat if pushed to the brink of death.

You will love John's storytelling. I was sad to learn that John has passed on. This week (Sept 2008) his wife has published another book (Mary's Voyage) about further journeys with John - I can't believe he stepped foot on another sailboat. If you love sea stories this book will not disappoint.

John Caldwell was in love. So in love he bought a less-than-adequate 29 foot sailboat to sail thousands of miles across the Pacific (from Panama to Sydney, Australia) to be with his new bride. On his way, adventure and obstacles ensue, and he really shows what he's made of throughout the story.

What a great book! A real page-turner. You will have a hard time putting this one down. I know I did!

John Caldwell, a young American who served in the Australian air force and the US merchant marine during WWII, found himself at the end of hostilities stranded in Panama. He had no way to get back to Australia and his new wife Mary.

With more pluck than brains Caldwell, who had not done any small boating, buys a small sailboat (about 29 feet) with the idea of sailing to far off Australia--more than 8500 miles of open Pacific. First he learns how to maneuver his boat in and around the islands off Panama, with many hilarious screw-ups. Finally he sets off across the ocean. He has a tiresome voyage to the Galapagos Islands, again with many screw-ups, some of which almost cost him his life and nearly wreck his sailboat and disable his auxiliary engine. After the Galapagos the sailing goes better as he has wind and current with him and only some 8000 miles left to go. Then about half way there, between the Marquesas Islands and Samoa, Caldwell is hit by a terrible hurricane that destroys his rig, nearly sinks his boat, and forces him to jettison all of his food, water, navigation equipment, and supplies. His prospects for survival, not to speak of getting to Australia, are remote. Fortunately he had an almost indestructible craft, and that was his greatest piece of luck.

Under jury jig and near death from starvation, he eventually fetches up in the Fiji Islands. He is nursed back to health by the kindly natives and soon makes it the rest of the way to Australia by hitching rides on boats and planes, and is reunited with his beloved Mary. They apparently have lived happily ever after (or at least until the late 1990s), even founding and running a resort in the Caribbean.

Desperate Voyage is a wonderful and wonderfully engaging story. Caldwell writes so well and so engagingly that this book is really hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it. You cannot help liking this plucky screw-up with a penchant for survival. Of course, I feel somewhat guilty enjoying this tale so much--after all it is mostly about screw-ups, disaster, pain, and close brushes with death most of which resulted from Caldwell's rashness and carelessness. Caldwell's voyage is not one to emulate. But as A.J. Mackinnon says in his masterful The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow (another boating story full of screw-ups) "No screw-ups, no story." Certainly if Caldwell had been an accomplished yachtsman and as careful as we boaters are supposed to be, there would have been nothing here to laugh and cry about. Also when reading Caldwell's tale I was reminded of Mackinnon's admission: "Of course, I exaggerate for effect." How much has Caldwell exaggerated to enhance his tale? No one knows, but I sincerely doubt that he really drank his engine oil in order to assuage his hunger when he was starving.

More than thirty years ago when my young family were avid deep water sailors, I read many survival and adventure stories written by those who had had narrow escapes. John Caldwell's vivid tale of his struggle to return to his Australian lady love following his release from the Navy at the end of WWII still stands out in my mind. This year, as I home school my grandson and encourage him to develop innovative thinking, determination and loyalty, "Desperate Voyage" once again comes to mind. One of your other reviewers remarked that Caldwell "had no literary pretentions," but his book is, nevertheless, well worth reading for Caldwell's own humor and durability in the face of disaster. I am happy once again to add it to my library on my grandson's behalf.

This was a very insightfull book of one man's sailing adventure to return to his true love. I was very moved by this book as I have visited both Costa Rica (from where he starts his adventure) and where he finally found his perfect island in the West Indies. Both sailers and non sailers will love his humour and love.

Patti Lawson examines her own life with honesty and gives the readers an insightful view of her metamorphosis from stress and unhappiness to the joy of living through the loving and caring for her beloved dog, Sadie. In so many ways I identified with the emptiness an accomplished life cannot fill and the error in thinking that food can. Patti found the answers to regaining her health and inner peace and shares with us a sustainable path to a healthier life, physically and emotionally. She gives us a positive uncomplicated approach to caring for ourselves in good times and bad, simple, tasteful and healthy options to our toxic eating patterns and a warm and humerous story of how a small dog caused so much disorder she adapted to survive and found herself thriving. Any dog lover will appreciate her story and commitment but the life lessons and suggestions are for us all and I highly reccommend it. This is also a book I'm giving as gifts to those "hard to buy for" and no one has been disappointed.

This is one of the best books I've read recently. It has you rolling in the floor laughing and might even bring a tear as you connect with the writer and Sadie. I challenge any dog lover or someone who has tried to lose weight not to love this book. It is wonderful!

This a very cute book regarding a professional woman who after two bad relationships decides to get a dog. She adopts a dog from a shelter and it really changes her life for the better. The author tells how the dog helped her lose weight, by changing her eating habits and making her exercise more. The dog not only helps her lose weight, but also lose weight in a fun manner. The author has a very humorous style of writing. I found this book very enjoyable to read and I highly recommend it. Besides for a humorous read, this book also has some good diet and exercise tips.

If you liked John Grogan's "Marley and Me" about a man, his family and their 'bad' but lovable dog, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this book. However, like Grogan's chronicle, this is NOT about how to raise a dog. For that sort of book, you'd do much better to check out something along the line of Cesar Milan's book, and/or watch him as "The Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic channel. (This is especially true if you are looking at rescue dogs or at acquiring a male dog from a dominant breed--Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepherd, etc.)

That said, Patti Lawson makes some excellent points about dogs, how they view life and what they can teach us. She catalogs her own story of how her relationship with a pup took her on a journey from self-involvement to being present in the world, with a new appreciation for everything from smells to simply being in the present moment. Her description of standing at a buffet of Indian food and smelling it appreciatively is one that I will remember for a long time.

I enjoyed her story and the summary boxes within it about the lessons she learned.

I loved this book! I really enjoyed reading it and I got some great dieting ideas (and life perspectives). For example, I am now implementing her idea of having a salad box. Actually, I have two of them that are about the size of shoeboxes that I bought for $1 each at the 99cent store.

Now, as soon as I buy my salad veggies, I clean them, chop or remove whatever leaves I need to, and put them in the salad boxes with a paper towel on top...and turn the box upside down (to let the extra moisture go into the paper towel).

Since I eat salads (with sprouts) every day, this has really helped me save time. Also, I find that I am throwing out less wilted lettuce and spinach or other salad veggies. So I am not wasting food and I am saving money.

This sweet book also shows how important animals can be in our lives...and that instead of complaining about having to clean up after them or take care of them...to realize...amoung other things...that you are burning more calories taking care of your pets...ha!

Thanks Patti for your inspiring book.

This is such an imaginative book. My 9yr old girl and 10yr old boy and I just LOVE this book. You find yourself going into the book yourself. It's a great book for children, without anything inappropriate, not too scary at all, great lessons.

My husband found this book at our local library and we started reading it to our 5yr old and boy were we all pleasantly surprised. This book is fantastic, sweet and intriguing, once you start reading you can't stop. My daughter even goes back and rereads the book all by herself now.

This is a very interesting fiction story about three kids who go to an
island and explore it, then they find a three-headed dragon. I like it a
lot! It is very intriguing.

This is from my son:

I give this book five stars because the kids use their imagination. I enjoyed the adventure on the island and the mysterious key that unlocks the secret room. I would like to visit the kind-hearted golden dragon's island because of the magical dragon's stories. All the childeren seemed to have learned lessons from the stories. My favorite scene was the silver-eyed story. Find out why...

The three Davis children Have to go to lonely island. Where thay find a cave and they find a great big dragon! They visit the dragon alot. Each time they meet a new dragon. It is a three headed dragon and each time they go to the cave they meet a new head and each head tells them a story.

This book is one of my favourites out the whole series. Unlike alot of readers, I really like Alisa - I think she adds a strange kind of innocence to the books that instead of being annoying is quite good - it adds some light for a change. Even though the way in which she finds out about being a half witch is very repeative and simliar (and a bit cheesy) to how Morgan found out she was an adopted blood witch, i still liked it because like I said, I like Alisa and the innocence and light she adds to the story. I think it was a very good idea to have Alisa save the day rather than Morgan for a change. I think that it was a good idea of Cate Tiernan's to have the spotlight shared by two characters because she has avoided the irritating predictable problem some books suffer from where there is always one heroic character who saves the day every time. This time, it is alot more varied.

So this book, eclipse, is really good! It shares the point of view with Morgan who is ususally the narrator, and Alisa, who you haven't heard from. Alisa's relationship with Morgan is that she is Morgan's little sister Mary K.'s best friend (getting a little Jerry Springer...) anyhow, Alisa is a blood witch. Mordan's killer father, Ciaran McEwan is trying to destroy Widows Vale with the *ominous music* DARK WAVE! Morgan finds Ciaran and her boyfriend, Hunter, stripps his magick. But the dark Wave is still coming! Will they be able to stop it in time? *FORESHADOWING*

I purchased the Sweep series for my 13 year old daughter in the hopes that maybe she would read. "She hated to read." Well I was amazed, and could not get her to go to sleep, as she would spend the whole night, with a night-light on reading these books. She enjoyed them so much, and could not stop talking first about Cal and then Hunter, that I had to see what all the fuss was about.
Well after two weeks, a book a day, for a girl who hated to read, it sparked my curiosity, so I started reading, and was surprised to find out how enjoyable a Teen book about Teen Witches could be. I am not really into Wicca, but these books are really enjoyable. I am on my fifth book, and my daughter read each twice, and is know on the Circle of Three Series. I have to highly recommend these books to those parents who can not get their daughters to read. These are excellent stories, full of fantasy, horror, and fun.

over here in the uk sweep is called WICCA. i am a wiican and 14 and im a beginner and i do like these books. it is fantasy wicca but it is buult over fact.
if u want real wicca after u have read these books check out silver ravenwolf, starhawk, dorothy morisson etc.
These books are great 2 read even if ure not wiccan they are action packed.
this book in particular is probably one of the best and at the time of writing this is the latest one published in the UK but i know the other 2 plus super edition will be even better.

Morgan is back and so is Alisa. For those who don't remember, Alisa is the girl who is scared by Morgan because strange telekinetic things happen when they are together and she feels Morgan is unable to control her power.

One day, at practical magic, Morgan picks up a Book Of Shadows from the seventies. This is actually on we have seen excerpts from in a previous book. But when Alisa is visiting Mary K. (Morgans younger sister), she steals the book.

The book winds up revealing things about Alisa's family and just who Alisa is. As Alisa begins to deal with her situation, she gets caught up with Morgan, Hunter and Hunter's father as a new and serious danger threatens them and much of Widow's Vale.

The story switches back and forth from Morgan's point of view to Alisa's. There are no excerpts starting each chapter, but there are some interesting quotes. A good book that seems to really move the series towards a conclusion.

On a side note, does anyone else thing the town should change its name to Widowers Vale? Morgan, Alisa and Hunter are all missing mothers. Plenty of widowers and no widows.

It is definitely the best book I have ever read, and I read many great books throughout my life. I read it about six times, the first one when I was little. I still remember. Now I got it for my own children. It has amazing principles, and wonderful teachings. I wich we could all see life the way "El Principito" does. What a great lesson!

A BOOK THAT INFLUENCED MY LIFE

The book that has influenced my life is "The Little Prince". This book iis basically about a little blond boy that meets an adult with who he will become friend, somewhere in the world, dunno where.He discovers, during a trip, adults, who will allow him to understand adults world and life on hearth In the begining of the story, the pilot crashes in a desert and thers were the story begings.This story has many characters, but the two main ones are the pilot (the narrator), and the little prince.One of the main settings are the dessert were the pilot meets the little prince, and the planet were the little prince lives, but this story has many settings.

I read this book because my mother told me that every kid must read this book, so she gave me the book and i read it when i was almost 12 years old. This book has influenced my life in many ways. Every time i read this book it makes me think, about pepole and friendship, it makes me cry, laugh, and be a better person and a better friend. It also makes me be more pacient, and this is a thing that im not so good at, but every time im in a cituation were i have to be pacient, since i read that book, I have teach myself to try to understand people, and why they are like that. This book is in a prose/chatter way written, in this way it was easier for me to understand the meaning of the words. This book you have to read it more than once to get the meaning of the words.











By Avira Arreola.

Creo que uno de los libros mas lindos que he leido. Es un libro que podes leer a cualquier edad, tendo 18 años y recien lo lei.
Es una aventura muy linda que algun dia espero poder leer a mi hijos :)
Les recomiendo este libro a todo mundo.

It's been one of my favorite books since I was in 6th grade, great life values in this story! Great for kids! and people of any age.

This is a lovely story, and I wanted to own the book to follow while I listen to the story in Spanish on my ipod. Children's stories in Spanish are a delightful way to study for the mid-level student.

T.William Waltrip, M.D.

Hello, Folks this is a great audiobook. Excellent, thrilling, gripping story. Wonderful sound effects. Jason Culp did a fantastic job as narrator. I will listen to F2F many more times. I am going to try and obtain some of Phil Finch's other audiobooks if available. Get this audiobook, now !

The worst part of this book is that it could be real, never let your children at the internet alone, and you have to take care of what are you saying on the net.

Anything by this guy is fantastic! What a future vision...paranoia about keeping your personal information off the public domain seems like a good thing after reading this work.

Great book Phil! Miss you guys!

Rusty In KC

Better than tape!

Once you log on the Net...anyone can find you! April 19, 2001 My father handed me this book becasue I was a "computer guy" and he thought I might enjoy it. (He would have given it 3 stars at most); but being as I am in computers...and you can do everything that is done in this book....I enjoyed it. Anyone who uses a computer, a chat room and a bulletin board will really appreciated it. The deaths are a little more gruesome than is required...but once you get pass that, the book keeps your attention.

It starts slow and picks up with every page. I could not put it down. I finished it on one day! This book is a thriller even up to the last page. A must read.... this is a thoroughly entertaining novel.

Note: I now turn off my computer at night.

My father handed me this book becasue I was a "computer guy" and he thought I might enjoy it. (He would have given it 3 stars at most); but being as I am in computers...and you can do everything that is done in this book....I enjoyed it. Anyone who uses a computer, a chat room and a bulletin board will really appreciated it. The deaths are a little more gruesome than is required...but once you get pass that, the book keeps your attention.

It starts slow and picks up with every page. I could not put it down. I finished it on one day! This book is a thriller even up to the last page. A must read.... this is a thoroughly entertaining novel.

Note: I now turn off my computer at night.

After reading Rose Callahan, I counted the number of books I've read on Tombstone. This makes 26 and is now on the top of my list. I hope they make it into a movie.

I was a little hestitant when I bought this book but thought I would give it a try since I love stories of Tombstone, old west, Arizona, etc. I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it. I felt like I was there and I felt like I could feel Rose's broken heart. I've been to the Bird Cage and now I want to go again to see it through "Rose's" eyes.

Fantastic book. Depicts actual lives from the 1880's, allowing you to transport back in time and see it through their eyes. Hard to put down, I re-read parts of it 2 and 3 times. It follows history and tells it like it was.

The most amazing story I have ever seen unfold.

The sound of a music box releasing memories of another life - in detail which can only be described as an "eyewitness account" of the daily life of commom people in the most uncommon of places - 1880's Tombstone, Arizona.

The story is told through the eyes of Rose Callahan, a singer and lady of the night, as she struggled with life in that notorious place, while working at the Birdcage Theatre.

The writing style smoothly flows, as it draws the reader into the personal life and relationships of ordinary people in that exciting time and place.

Read this story, and see what it was truly like to be a part of that time in history - as told through the eyes of someone whom I believe was there.

I've not often been a great fan of "historical" writing but was enchanted with Patricia Barrington's "The Famous Rose Calahan"! I am facinated by the concept of reincarnation and have listened with great interest to personal stories of spiritial and physical "Deja Vu". Ms. Barrington's writings, in a first-hand and "eye-witness" format, kept me entranced for hours.

It's the stories that Southerners tell on themselves and others--good-natured stories, laugh-at-yourself stories, grin-and shake-your head kind of stories--one of the many cultural aspects that set Southerners apart. Jane Riley captures that essence of stories and places them right alongside tried-and-true Southern style recipes. It is truly a unique cookbook, "flavored with love" by the many stories, recipes, oh yes, recipes galore, and tidbits of information related to the recipe or its ingredients.

This recipe book reminds me of the days I sat on the porch with my grandparents and we waved to people passing by in their vehicles. Sometimes they purposed to our house and joined us in swings and gliders for iced tea and "visits" just like the ones told by Mary Lou's family and friends.

I found myself really drawn into this work of love. Because the book is more like a compilation of stories, I did not realize there are no pictures until right now writing this. Wow, and I'm a stickler for those photographs of final products in a cookbook.

Adding to the flavor of the book are the many side notes about ingredients, special techniques, and other helpful information tied in with the recipe. For example, the recipe for Boiled Shrimp, p. 197, includes this cute lil note: "Mississippi people have traditionally eaten shrimp ice cold, but the Louisiana custom of eating warm shrimp has invaded God's Country." I'm skipping comment about Mississippi being God's Country and commenting on warm shrimp eating. It is true!! On the same page is information about Gumbo File as a seasoning and a thickening agent. Either that or okra!

One of my favorite recipes is Mirliton Casserole. I didn't know what a mirliton is until I was fortunate to live next door to a Chinese couple who converted their backyard into a garden wonderland. Their way of gardening took in half their yard, including overhead where they built a trellis covering one half of their garden (yes, it was magically strange). On this they planted several kinds of squash, including mirliton, which they so kindly shared with me (and I with them with tomatoes). Right here in Mary Lou's cookbook is a wonderful recipe for Mirliton Casserole or as a stuffing for mirlitons. Yummy!

Did I mention the arrangement of recipes? The only logical arrangement is by contributor so all those related stories are together. For example, "Mr. Bobby's Cats" is a three-page poem about saving Possum the cat, then a short section on Dieting, then a note About Cumin, and a follow-up about the two cats. Next a therapeutic recipe about making Tuna Salad with a follow-up shower to remove the tuna smell and a different recipe for Tuna Spread for Sandwiches, a favorite at my mother's house. Oh? That tuna water that came of the can? Give it to your cats. See what I mean? Stories!

Since the recipes are arranged by contributor, the cook must consult the index for specific types of recipes. Pecan Pie? Page 24. Gumbo? Three kinds: Red Bean Gumbo, p. 305; Mississippi Gumbo, p. 58; and Turkey/Texianna (Texas/Louisiana) Gumbo, p. 223. Or Chicken Enchilada Casserole, p. 249. On the next page is Marge's Apple Dumplings.

No matter the arrangement, the recipes are great, the conversation is both entertaining and poignant, the notes helpful. However you dice it, this book is worth your time and money. Make a cup of coffee and sit down with this book to pick out your next meal. Don't forget to visit!

Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook is the perfect title for this book. Not only does this author flavor her tasty recipes with love, she seasons them with herbs, spices and other exotic taste sensations too. Author Mary Lou Cheatham--working under the pen name of Jane Riley, a fictitious cousin--seasons the BOOK with love, also, by adding heaping dollops of anecdotes about her family and friends that will please the literary palate of cooks and readers alike.

I like to think of these down-home stories as "love-thoughts," especially the tender morsels about her late husband Robert "Bobby" Cheatham. In this third edition of Flavored with Love: Mary Lou's Family and Friends Can Cook, Cheatham's friends and relatives contribute their favorite recipes and share stories, also.

Since I cook less these days, I purloined the easiest recipes to make myself, such as cornbread. To my delight, I found it similar in taste and texture to my late mother's Kentucky recipe. None of that Marie Calendar's too-sweet cornbread for me. I always tell my children it tastes like cake, so I agree with the author's Grandmother Gregg when she says we are " ... softies and that these days people eat corn cake instead of cornbread." Spot on!

I also tried the Angel Biscuits and Peanut Butter Balls, and believe you me, the biscuits melted in my mouth and the balls went straight to my hips!

I could go on and on about other simple recipes, but that wouldn't do justice to the entire book. When I wanted to taste something that took a little more time and energy, I called in daughter Debbie. She whipped up things like Michelle's Squash Casserole, good ol' Louisiana Jambalaya and Mike's steak in no time flat! But when she wanted to try Mike's Watermelon, which calls for an entire bottle of rum or vodka ... well, that's where I drew the line. I'll have my watermelon sober--as nature intended--thank you very much!

In addition to recipes and entertaining stories, this cookbook is sprinkled with off-beat humor, interesting cooking tips, and ... well, if you want to know more, you'll have to get your own copy. (I guess I'll have to get another copy; when Deb went home, mine mysteriously disappeared. ... hmmmmm)

Every home should have one!

I tip my fedora to the author and Chief Chef Mary Lou Cheatham, to contributing friends and relatives, and to cover designer Austin Jones of Austin Graphics. The cover is bright and cheerful with colorful photos and abstracts of delicious foods, overlaid with a cartoon chef, grinning as she waves a large cooking spoon. (Could that be a caricature of the author?)

Reviewed by Betty Dravis, 2008
author of 1106 Grand Boulevard

This fabulous cookbook is packed with all of my childhood favorites. Raised by southern parents and now residing in the Pacific Northwest, I often feel deprived of these comforting dishes.

With nearly three-hundred recipes that include pecan pie, grandpa's lemonade, and red beans and rice, this book does not disappoint! I no longer have to call my mom for help when I want to cook southern food - everything I need is in this cookbook. I get hungry just flipping through the pages!

I love this book! I have a pile of cookbooks that I dust occasionally but almost never use. Why? They're too complicated, too predictable...too boring! But Flavored With Love? Now this is a cookbook I can sink my teeth into! Not only are the recipes delicious and simple, but the stories interwoven throughout this lovely book make me feel like I'm getting cooking lessons from my favorite aunt or best friend. At last--a cookbook I will really use! My family will end up loving this book as much as I do. And I plan to give it as a gift, as it is beautifully packaged. Highly recommended!

Flavored with Love is much more than the quintessential cookbook, offering its readers wonderful, heartwarming tales about the people whose recipes are included within. There's plenty of advice offered about the best ways to prepare food (including how to make pork sausage), along with recipes that made this reviewer's mouth water. But this cookbook doesn't limit itself to Southern recipes, there's a vast assortment of cuisine presented, from Italian recipes to Thai, and everything in between. Recommended for every kitchen.

This is my first foray into N.T. Wright's literary discipleship. This is good written stimulus that will lead you to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. This collection of Eucharistic sermons expands from the passion of Christ to the revelation of the Father's plan for true discipleship. The language is easy to read and Dean Wright uses great words and pharases to lead us further along. N.T. Wright has become one of my must read theologians.

This book, though brief, contains a treasure chest of Wright's knowledge on the life and significance of Jesus. In "Following Jesus", Wright seeks to answer the question, "Who exactly is this Jesus that we claim to follow?"

With the thought that many Christians might not know exactly who Jesus is, due to years of watered down religion, Wright uses different books of the Bible, along with personal scholarship, to extract who Jesus was and what that means to those who follow him.

A phenomenal read. Extremely enlightening and refreshing.

This is my first time reading N.T. Wright's books, though I've read an essay and heard him speak. This is an unbelievable book. The first half of the book walks through the New Testament and describes each author's view of Jesus and what it looks like to follow Him. The second half seems to walk through some of the major issues of discipleship and what it actually looks like to follow Jesus. I loved it and will go back to it again and again.

For years I'd scoffed at Bishop N.T. Wright thinking him a backward-looking, anti-intellectual Christian with nothing to say to the contemporary world. I was wrong. And I'm glad to say this book started it all.

After reading several books on revisionist views of Jesus, I've concluded (very, very reluctantly) that the Jesus presented in "Following Jesus" is the only Jesus really worth following. Here Wright gives us a glimpse of the Jesus of the gospels, a Jesus who is the Savior of the World, a Jesus who makes huge demands on our lives and calls us to follow Him to Calvary. This Jesus tells us disturbing things about ourselves, the world, and how both are in need of repair. The good news, as Wright points out, is that G-d has begun to recreate the world through Jesus of Nazareth. In this short book of sermons, Wright shows the new creation appearing by looking at Jesus' teaching, his healings and, perhaps most of all, his resurrection. The new creation has already begun, yet it will fully arrive in the Age to Come.

This book set my heart aflame for the Christian hope. Although the world suffers and humans fail in love (again and again), there is a G-d who raises the dead, a fact that--when it's internalized--gives life its proper focus.

Thank you, Bishop Wright, for this powerful little book.

Tom Wright, Anglican bishop in England, once again elucidates in a cogent but thoroughly readable style that only he can what it means to follow Jesus. If one is a sometime Christian who does not want to 'count the cost' of what it means to 'be Jesus' to a hurting world, you'd better avoid this book. In a world full of evangelists who promise 'what's in it for us' if we follow Jesus, Tom Wright challenges us to really take up the cross and follow the Lord. As a Southern Baptist, I can't think of another theologian, of whatever denomination, that is more challenging and encouraging than Tom Wright. Buy it, but be prepared to keep your marker handy.

The best business book I've ever read, hands down. You won't regret buying it ;)

I work with entrepreneurs for a living and I have found this book to be one of the best book on building a scaleable business I have ever read. It is not overly technical it is just a clear, real-world view of what needs to be done to grow and investable business.

This book is not about the psychology of the entrepreneur. Very little if not nothing about how to cope with the start-up pressures, partners, investors, your debts, high maintenance family (well worth it), risk aversion ... and if entrepreneurship is really something for you.

This book is rather a set of principles that will help the (future) CEO/COO of a start up to remain focused on the essentials (strategy, operation, marketing, capital) to build an ambitious & successful web company. It is easy to read, showcase vivid stories and brings to life the experience of someone who has been there, done it. Additionally, the author Wil Schroter is a great guy, and you ll have fun reading it.

A welcomed addition to any entrepreneurs' book shelf!

If you're like me, and you have many half-baked ideas for businesses, this book is a "must read" because it provides simple, sensible guidelines for evaluating the meritoriousness of a given start-up concept. Mr. Schroter sets forth a brutally clear, common sense screening process that can help you make sure you and your big ideas don't wind up like the vast majority of start-ups--out of business before they really get going. No academic can give you the life lessons Mr. Schroter has learned firsthand by personally taking real risk, time and time again. A master of levity, Mr. Schroter's reality-based principles are codified in a downright funny way (e.g., indeed quoting 80's rapper Too $hort), reminding us that any successful scramble for dead presidents necessarily requires humble equanimity, and a smile. As a business lawyer who demands value for my education dollar, I can unequivocally recommend Go BIG or Go HOME.

Personal background note: I have worked as an early stage venture capitalist and regularly review business plans for Angel investment groups.

The content of the book is fairly basic but helpful in understand the big issues you will deal with when starting up a business. If you are thinking about starting a company, the book is not a bad sanity check to make sure you have thought through the big issues. The your concept does not pass this sanity check, do not quit your day job.

The writing style is very light and good for a quick read which is important for someone thinking about starting a business. You need to be ruthlessly efficient with your time if you are going to succeed.

Overall: 3 stars -- there are many books out there on this subject...most say roughly the same thing using the business buzzwords at the printing time. This book is not that much different but very approachable in format and content.