Bishop Books

In 1816 Robert Richford Roberts (1778-1843) was elected to the office of Bishop in the Methodist Church, but his service to the Lord had started many years before. Called to the Lord at a young age, Roberts had been early marked as a future pastor. Feeling unworthy of such a high calling, he had resisted his calling. But, once he embraced his service, he became a well-known and well-traveled preacher - ranging across the nation, bringing the Word of the Lord to just about every corner of the fledgling United States.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and wonderfully uplifting biography. The author does an excellent job of presenting all the facets of Bishop Roberts' life, and life in general on the early frontier. If you are interested in Bishop Roberts, then this is a good book for you to get. Heck, if you are just interested in life in early America, then this is also a book you should read.

I really enjoyed this book, and do not hesitate to recommend it to everyone!

A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire, Michael Bishop's first novel, concerns itself with a pair of brothers, the Balduins, who seek to negotiate the transplant of the Ouemartsee, a small nonconformist society on the planet Trope, to another nearby planet, Glaparca, in order to assist its residents in taming an unliveable region there. The brothers embark on this mission essentially out of boredom, as at this point in the future, human society has become hivelike, with every need provided for but with no means of achieving distinction from humanity's mass.

It isn't until the novel's end that the question of the Ouemartsee's relocation is resolved and the various parties' motives are revealed or confirmed; the bulk of the narrative serves to 1) provide a fascinating look at the Ouemartsee, the Glaparcans, and the majority culture of Trope, and 2) set in motion an event (the proposed relocation) that allows these three cultures and their philosophies (as well as that of the human negotiators) to interact in a variety of ways. This is very much a novel of manners, albeit set far in the future on a distant planet.

In writing a novel that focuses so heavily on sociology, diplomacy, religion, and morality--rather than a straightforward conflict narrative--Bishop takes a substantial risk. His cultures must stand on their own, with the only potential for sudden dynamic change coming in the form of the mostly-impotent humans. Fortunately, Bishop succeeds; the Tropemen/Ouemartsee schism is logical and original (when it could have easily been derivative of some aspect of human history); the Glaparcans have a startlingly unique mythology; and the cultural practices of all three serve to demonstrate how alien they are, rather than familiarizing them by making them analogous to human cultures. Needless to say, you would never know this was a first novel, and I highly recommend it to the thinking reader.

Some notes:
--This was published in 1975; it was republished in 1980 as Eyes of Fire, rewritten (I have no idea how extensively) to bring it in line with a continuity established in some of Bishop's later novels. I have not read that version, and this review refers solely to the original book.
--[Spoiler alert] These old science fiction novels are something else; I realize that in 1975 science fiction was still making the transition to actual "literature" in the eyes of many, and a lot of the books being published were still forced to compete for attention in bus station and drug store paperback racks, but attempts to appear sensational can backfire. Plastered across the top of the front cover, above a simultaneously arresting and disturbing portrait of a Tropeman, is the blurb "Their eyes were crystals that could see into the future!" Intriguing? Yes. A huge spoiler? Also, yes. That's something that is meant to be uncovered as the societies of Trope are gradually exposed. It's no reflection on Bishop, naturally; just a humorous example of the way publishers used to shoot themselves in their collective foot.

This is a beautiful story about love and how it grows. This boy and girl start out to build a garden wall. They grow together through the story and in the end the garden wall becomes a place for them to marry. Any little girl would love this story. It is about a girl and a real world prince.

I know. No one likes geometry. You have to take it in high school. And there are all these proofs to do. It's no fun.

But there are some interesting questions in geometry. And one of the most interesting ones is the Isoperimetric Theorem.

Here it is.

Of all plane figures with a given perimeter, the circle has the greatest area.

This theorem was known well over two thousand years ago. And in the nineteenth century, Jacob Steiner almost proved it. He proved that if there is a figure which has a greater area than any other figure with the same perimeter, then it must be a circle. And this book shows how. I think Steiner's proof should be shown to students in any honors geometry course.

Unfortunately, Steiner only proved that if there was an answer, it had to be the circle. He never proved that there was an answer. And when this was pointed out to him, he thought this was not a serious objection.

And yes, Karl Weierstrass did spot the error in Steiner's proof, and he found a way to prove that there is an answer to the problem, finally solving a problem that had plagued mathematicians for so many centuries.

If you are going to take a class in honors geometry in high school, and if my review hasn't talked you out of doing so, get this book. You'll enjoy it.

Men, you know what I speak of...
You're a WWII buff and factoid fanatic. ... This book has it all. Great vignettes about the vaunted weaponry of the Third Reich. Page by page you'll be captivated by the eye-catching layouts. I really enjoyed the way the authors intertwined true story vignettes with the technical details of the weapons ranging from small arms, tanks, aircraft, ships, subs, and more! An absolute must have for the WWII buff (and perfect addition to your "office").

Based on the Pittsburgh bishop's classic "The Teaching of Christ", Bishop Wuerl's "The Gift of Faith" is a condensed Q&A catechism in full conformity with and indexed to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Q&A format both focuses the subject matter and allows readers to commit the lessons to memory. It's an excellent resource for RCIA, group study or anyone who seeks a comprehensive yet very approachable overview of the Faith.

The book doesn't dodge tough questions, and it addresses all the hot button issues that Catholics often do not hear from pulpits and parish catechists, e.g., contraception, abortion, priestly celibacy, and human sexuality.

Cheryl Walker's book on Elizabeth Bishop and God is spectacular. It explores a poet's spiritual journey that is filled with challenging questions spanning a lifetime. I think that this text is essential reading for anyone interested in Bishop, poetry and spirituality, and women's spirituality.

If you have ever been through a trial or are going through a trial or ever will go through a trial, this book is for you. Published by John Bishop and Solid Rock Publications, this book will take you through an unbelievable journey of a man's devotion to his God, his wife, and his ministry. Bouting, sickness, memory loss, and physical limitations, John Bishop shares how he wanted to give up on life, yet God saw him through it. Definately, a book that will help you to most certainly realize, "God is So Good". There is also a music cd that can be purchased seperately entitled, God is Always Good" by Solid Rock Publications.

A well written comprehsive book in looking for gold today. Includes methods section for extracting gold from other minerials. Offers helpful hints that can turn your hobby into to a profitable business.

Anyone who shares my passion for the Gospel and Ignatius of Antioch can't afford not to have this book in their personal collection. His mastery of the inner meanings of the Gospel are unparralleled. For anyone caught in the tumultuous seas of Biblical Literature, this book is the lighthouse that will guide you to truth.